Liz Emmott, sales director at Amadeus, said the travel industry had “always had to” adapt its businesses to serve customers’ “changing needs” and should look to other sectors for ideas and trends.

Emmott cited a range of methods – from personalising the customer experience to making better use of technology within a business – to improve their service, which could be converted to suit travel consumers.

She hailed weekly fashion guide The Journal, by US menswear website Mr Porter, which encourages users to purchase items on its site via reviews and lifestyle articles.

“How does that relate to travel? It’s about making sure information is readily available to customers across all channels,” she said.

Emmott also highlighted the work of online fashion retailer Asos and US tech giant Apple in “creating consistency” in how they dealt with customers’ needs across all buying platforms.

According to Emmott, in February last year 50% of transactions on Asos were made via a mobile phone – highlighting its ability to offer customers a different way of purchasing.

On the high street front, Emmott said Apple had made visiting its retail stores a “real event” for customers.

She also noted an algorithm used by streaming service Netflix that delivered content based on consumers’ preference settings and what users have previously watched.

“There is a real opportunity to take this profiling to the next level and it can help you think about the drivers encouraging someone to buy from you,” she added.