UK travel and hospitality brands are shifting from one-way customer messages to interactive conversations, with Rich Communications Services (RCS) driving the change. This transition reflects a broader industry move toward more dynamic and responsive communication methods, where travelers expect immediate, personalized engagement rather than static notifications.
Data from communications platform Infobip reveals RCS interactions in the sector jumped over 300% last year. This growth surpassed SMS, which rose 22%, and WhatsApp, which increased 4%. The analysis covered 628 billion global interactions in 2025, including 15.4 billion in the UK, alongside messaging trends from the past 20 years. The surge in RCS usage indicates a fundamental shift in how brands and customers communicate, moving beyond the limitations of traditional text-based messaging. While SMS and WhatsApp remain relevant, their slower growth suggests they are being supplemented by more advanced platforms.
RCS now represents 70% of messaging penetration in the UK. Concerns over fraud on other messaging channels have contributed to its rise, as travelers and brands seek more secure ways to exchange sensitive information. More than six million travel and hospitality interactions were recorded in 2025, showing that UK travellers are becoming accustomed to engaging with their favourite travel brands through RCS.
Over half of global brands now use Agentic AI for tasks like authentication and notifications. Infobip’s CX Maturity Report indicates the next phase involves embedding these agents directly into RCS and WhatsApp. This would allow handling bookings, loyalty programs, and travel updates within a single conversation.
James Stokes, Infobip’s Head of Enterprise for the UK and Nordics, described the trend as a move toward “omnichannel engagement.” Stokes explained that brands are integrating RCS, WhatsApp, and AI into a unified experience rather than relying on a single channel.
SMS still serves as a backup for urgent alerts like flight delays. However, as RCS adoption expands, brands may gradually retire older formats.
Balancing automation with human input remains a key challenge. AI can manage routine questions, but travel problems often demand careful assessment. Brands must design their AI systems to recognize when a query exceeds their capabilities and seamlessly escalate to a human agent.
Florida International University was recently selected to lead a study on Caribbean tourism, highlighting broader shifts in the industry’s approach to customer engagement.
