Mastercard and Trip.com have partnered to showcase AI-powered booking experiences for the travel sector, demonstrating how consumers could search, book and complete purchases through Trip.com’s AI agent, TripGenie.

Powered by Mastercard’s Agent Suite for Merchants and developed in partnership with Network International, the initiative aims to transform travel bookings through agentic commerce, allowing consumers to discover options, compare services and complete authorized transactions within an AI-driven journey.

The collaboration combines Trip.com’s travel ecosystem with Network International’s acquiring capabilities and Mastercard’s global payments network, gateway infrastructure and agentic commerce technologies.

The partners said the approach will simplify travel interactions while allowing merchants to retain control over their brand and customer experience.

“As agentic AI drives a fundamental shift in how consumers shop, Mastercard is committed to providing merchants with a way to build, connect and scale AI-powered shopping experiences – that differentiate for their customers while ensuring they remain in control of their brand and customer engagements. Through our collaboration with Trip.com and Network International, we are showcasing how consumers can transact confidently with new solutions, powering the next era of travel,” said Mete Güney, executive vice president, Market Development, EEMEA, Mastercard.

“AI is changing travel from a search experience into a much more intelligent and personalized journey. Together with Mastercard, we are shaping the next generation of AI-powered commerce through Agent Suite for Merchants, exploring how AI agents, operating securely and with the traveler's authorization, can intelligently facilitate travel-related transactions. Ultimately, our role is not just to help travelers find the right trip, but to make their entire journey, from discovery and planning through to booking and payment, much simpler, faster and more connected,” said Schubert Lou, CEO of Trip.com.

The solution is expected to enhance bookings for selected travel services, including attractions and ancillary offerings.

TripGenie is being exclusively showcased at Arabian Travel Market as a global first, with a phased rollout and commercial launch expected in early 2027.

"At Network international we believe agentic commerce will fundamentally reshape how consumers interact with digital services, reducing complexity and enabling more personalized purchasing experiences. As the leading payments enabler across the Middle East and Africa, Network is focused on providing the secure and scalable infrastructure required to support this transformation. Together with Mastercard and Trip.com, we are helping accelerate the future of commerce, where intelligent agents can deliver greater convenience, choice and value for consumers and businesses alike," said Martin Pitcock, Head of E-Commerce and Omni-channel, Network International.

The initiative is positioned as a scalable model for merchants, payment providers and financial institutions seeking to adopt agent-driven commerce in the region.

Mastercard’s Agent Suite for Merchants is available through Mastercard Merchant Cloud, providing businesses with access to modular payment solutions including fraud protection, authentication, tokenization, data and partner services. -TradeArabia News Service