What is an MCP server? Explained for travel agencies
An MCP server is a program that gives an AI assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT a set of tools, and does the work when the assistant uses one. MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the open standard they talk in. For a travel agency, an MCP server is the bridge between the AI assistant your agents already use and your supplier systems, such as your Amadeus contract: the assistant asks, the server searches and prices with your keys, and the answer comes back into the chat. GateRoam is that kind of server, built for agencies.
What is MCP?
The official definition: MCP is "an open-source standard for connecting AI applications to external systems". Its documentation compares it to a plug: "Think of MCP like a USB-C port for AI applications" (modelcontextprotocol.io).
- Who made it. Anthropic, the company behind Claude, introduced MCP in November 2024 (Anthropic).
- Who owns it now. In December 2025 Anthropic gave MCP to the Agentic AI Foundation, part of the Linux Foundation, so no single company controls it (MCP blog, 9 December 2025).
- Who supports it. Claude, ChatGPT and developer tools such as Visual Studio Code and Cursor (modelcontextprotocol.io).
Because it's one standard, one MCP server works with every assistant that speaks MCP. Your agents can use Claude or ChatGPT, whichever they prefer.
What does an MCP server actually do?
Think of the AI assistant as a new colleague who is good with words but has no logins. The MCP server is the colleague at the next desk who has the logins and does exactly what is asked, nothing more:
- It lists its tools. For example "search flights", "price these offers", "create a client offer". The assistant sees only the names, what each tool does and what it needs.
- The assistant decides when to use one. You ask for "return flights Ljubljana to London, 2 adults", and the assistant calls "search flights" with those details.
- The server does the work. It calls the supplier with the agency's own keys, checks the results and calculates the totals.
- The answer goes back into the chat. The assistant shows it to you and asks what's next.
The keys stay with the server. The assistant never sees a password, an API secret or a tool it isn't allowed to use.
What does that look like in a travel agency?
With GateRoam connected, an agent can ask Claude or ChatGPT to:
- search flights on the agency's Amadeus contract, with flexible dates and nearby airports;
- confirm the current price and compare fare families;
- check seats per booking class;
- turn two or three options into a branded client offer: a web page, copy-paste text and a PDF;
- answer "how do I … in Amadeus" questions from GateRoam's Amadeus guide.
What each tool does, and what it can't do: Is there an Amadeus MCP server?
Does it run on your computer or on the internet?
Both kinds exist. A local MCP server runs on one computer and is common with developer tools. A remote MCP server runs on the internet, and that's what an agency needs for claude.ai: "the connection to your MCP server originates from Anthropic's servers, not from your machine's network interface" (Claude help center).
A remote server also lets each colleague sign in with their own account (OAuth), so every call is made, and logged, as that person. GateRoam is a remote MCP server: nothing to install.
What should you check before you connect an MCP server?
An MCP server acts on your systems with your keys, so treat it like any supplier with access to your contract. Ask:
| Question | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|
| Where are the keys kept? | Encrypted on the server, never shown in the chat or sent to the browser |
| Who is signed in? | Each colleague as themselves, and you can revoke any connection |
| What can the tools change? | Read-only tools are marked as such; anything that books or pays needs a human |
| Can an admin switch tools off? | Yes, for the whole agency or per colleague, and hidden tools are not shown to the AI |
| Who calculates prices? | Code on the server, never the language model |
| Is there a log? | Every AI call, with who made it and when |
How GateRoam answers each one: Security.
How do you connect one?
You add the server's address to Claude or ChatGPT as a custom connector and sign in. For GateRoam:
- the short version for both assistants: Connect AI;
- every click in Claude: How to connect Claude to Amadeus, step by step;
- for ChatGPT users: ChatGPT for travel agents.
GateRoam is free during early access. If you need an MCP server for another supplier or your own booking system, we build custom connectors: Custom travel API connectors.
Sources
Checked on 4 October 2026.
- Model Context Protocol: introduction to MCP
- Anthropic: introducing the Model Context Protocol, November 2024
- MCP blog: MCP joins the Agentic AI Foundation, 9 December 2025
- Claude help center: custom connectors using remote MCP
Frequently asked questions
We build systems for travel companies such as Palma, REM Travel and World Discovery — and GateRoam, AI flight quoting on your Amadeus contract.