Africa leads global hotel AI adoption, but data silos pose a challenge

Hotel chains across Africa and the Middle East are adopting AI faster than anywhere else in the world, a new study by h2c, commissioned by Profitroom, shows.

Source: Rodrigo_SalomonHC via Pixabay

While adoption rates soar, fragmented internal data systems could limit the region’s ability to fully capitalise on AI-driven opportunities.

Investment and trust outpace global averages

The study found 57% of Middle East and African (MEA) hotel businesses have integrated AI-driven features, well above Europe (30%), the Americas (30%), and Asia-Pacific (29%), and surpassing the global average of 35%.

"African hotels are demonstrating remarkable leadership in turning AI potential into business reality," said Katarzyna Raiter-Łuksza, director of product at Profitroom. "What's particularly striking is not just the adoption rate, but the confidence African hoteliers have in this technology compared to their global counterparts."

MEA hotel chains are also investing strategically in AI:

• Highest trust in AI at 7.1/10 (tied with Asia-Pacific, above global 6.6)
• Comfort with AI-driven pricing 7.2/10 (global: 6.2)
• Lowest concern about AI harming guest experience (35% vs global 50%)
• 59% expect fully automated digital marketing by 2030 (Europe: 37%)

Data silos as a critical barrier

Despite high adoption, 47% of MEA hotel chains report departmental data silos are limiting AI use — the highest globally.

"African hotels have leapfrogged their competitors in embracing AI but now face the challenge of breaking down internal data barriers, and making sure platforms and systems are aligned," said Raiter-Łuksza. "The next frontier for African hospitality isn't just about adopting more AI tools but creating unified data strategies that deliver consistent guest experiences and measurable business outcomes."

Global leadership gap persists

While MEA leads in practical AI adoption, only 8% of hotel chains worldwide have a company-wide AI strategy. Other global barriers include:

• 62% cite lack of AI expertise
• 42% don’t track AI ROI
• 58% worry about AI bias in guest suggestions

"What we're seeing across Africa is an exciting readiness to embrace AI's potential, combined with practical business sense about what technologies can deliver value today," added Raiter-Łuksza.