AI in travel
Platforms in travel
Travel by numbers
Online travel stocks surge after OpenAI scales back booking inside ChatGPT
- Online travel stocks surged after reports that OpenAI is scaling back plans to enable direct bookings inside ChatGPT, easing fears that AI would cut out travel intermediaries. Expedia jumped ~12%, while Booking Holdings and Tripadvisor rose about 8% and 5%.
- OpenAI reportedly found that users research travel in ChatGPT but rarely complete purchases there, prompting the shift away from built-in checkout.
- Instead of handling transactions itself, OpenAI will send users to third-party travel apps that integrate with ChatGPT, keeping the booking process within established platforms.
- Analysts say the move reduces the risk of “disintermediation” for online travel agencies, meaning platforms like Booking and Expedia can still capture demand even if discovery happens via AI.
- The shift highlights a key behaviour trend: AI is strong for discovery and planning, but consumers still prefer trusted platforms when it comes to payments and bookings.
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AI in digital
AI in travel
Platforms
Platforms in travel
Google launches Ask Maps, a Gemini conversational feature for itinerary planning
- Google Maps has launched “Ask Maps,” a Gemini-powered conversational feature that lets users ask complex, real-world questions directly in the app (e.g. finding a phone charging spot without long café queues). It replaces traditional keyword search with natural language queries.
- The tool delivers personalised recommendations by analysing data from Google Maps’ massive database of places, reviews and community contributions, tailoring results to user preferences and past behaviour.
- Ask Maps helps users move from discovery to action, suggesting locations, building custom itineraries, and even enabling actions like restaurant bookings directly within the conversation.
- The feature launches first on mobile (Android and iOS) in the US and India, with plans to expand to desktop and other regions over time.
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AI in travel
Consumers trust AI more for trip planning than any other task
- Consumers trust generative AI for travel planning more than for any other common use case in Matador Network’s survey of 1,000+ people, with 36% saying they have high or near-complete trust in AI for planning trips.
- Trust in AI for travel now edges out other practical categories like shopping tips (33.6%) and explaining unfamiliar topics (33.2%), which suggests travel is becoming one of the clearest real-world wins for consumer AI.
- By comparison, trust drops sharply for higher-stakes or more personal tasks: only 18.8% reported high trust for work-related writing, 16.9% for health advice, and 15.9% for personal problem-solving.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
Travel by numbers
Organic traffic drops 60% for major US travel sites
- Organic search traffic to major US consumer travel sites has dropped ~60% since Jan 2024, largely coinciding with Google’s rollout of AI Overviews that increasingly answer travel queries directly in search results.
- Some brands were hit especially hard: Travel + Leisure’s estimated organic traffic fell 80% (4.3M → 869K monthly), AFAR dropped 79%, Condé Nast Traveler 56%, and The Points Guy lost nearly half its search traffic.
- Despite the search collapse, total traffic isn’t catastrophic—these brands still attract millions of visits monthly (e.g. Travel + Leisure still sees ~16M visits), suggesting other channels like direct, newsletters, and Discover are cushioning the blow.
- The bigger shift is structural: Google increasingly controls the discovery layer, meaning being featured or ranking in travel media no longer guarantees consumer discovery the way it once did.
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AI in travel
APAC travel markets adopting AI more seamlessly than the West
- AI-powered personalisation and trip planning are accelerating the shift to online travel booking in APAC, with predictive search and automated planning tools becoming embedded in travel platforms.
- APAC markets are adopting AI more naturally than the West because superapps and algorithm-driven platforms have been common in the region for years, making AI an evolution rather than a sudden disruption.
- Agentic AI in travel is still early-stage, but China’s Trip.com is emerging as a frontrunner with its AI assistant TripGenie, moving closer to “agentic commerce” where AI can plan and transact on behalf of users.
- Chinese travel platforms are using AI to turn OTAs into massive discovery engines, combining inventory with social content, reviews, videos and travel advice to power richer search and recommendations.
- Despite rapid experimentation, the travel sector hasn’t yet produced a ‘killer AI app’, and many companies remain cautious as they wait for the next wave of AI capabilities before scaling aggressively.
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Platforms in travel
Travel by numbers
Gen Z moves away from OTAs preferring to book direct
- Direct digital channels are winning. Gen Z is moving away from OTAs and increasingly booking straight through airline and hotel websites or apps, which means brands have a bigger chance to own the customer relationship end-to-end.
- TikTok and Google Maps are doing the heavy lifting in discovery. TikTok is becoming a key source of travel inspiration and deal-hunting, while Google Maps is a core decision tool for checking hotel location, cleanliness and views before booking.
- The path to purchase is becoming more self-serve. As Gen Z gets older, more trips shift from parent-booked to self-booked, signalling growing importance for intuitive mobile UX, clear pricing and frictionless checkout across travel brands’ own platforms.
- Digital convenience matters as much as price. Gen Z will pay for time-saving tools and services, such as booking rideshares straight from the airport, showing that digital touchpoints that reduce stress can be a real conversion driver.
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Travel by numbers
Travel experiences projected to outpace every other travel segment by 2029
- Travel experiences are now a major growth engine — Tours, activities and attractions are projected to hit US $342 billion by 2029, outpacing every other travel segment and surpassing pre-pandemic levels with an ~8% annual growth rate.
- A structural shift is underway — Experiences have moved from an afterthought to a primary driver of trip choice, with travellers increasingly planning and booking experiences before arrival.
- Digital adoption is accelerating but still behind — Online bookings are rising fast (from ~17% in 2019 to ~42% projected by 2029), yet the sector lags overall travel in digital penetration — signalling big opportunity for digital platforms.
- Investor interest is surging — Major OTAs and platforms are expanding into experiences, with IPO plans and acquisitions underway, while many smaller operators remain fragmented — suggesting ripe conditions for consolidation and innovation.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
Skyscanner launches its flight app in ChatGPT
- Skyscanner (an In Marketing We Trust client) has launched a dedicated flights app inside ChatGPT, letting travellers use natural language prompts to search, compare and adjust flight options and prices without leaving the chat interface.
- The integration brings “the Skyscanner logic and prices people trust, wrapped into a more intuitive, conversational flow,” according to Skyscanner.
- The ChatGPT app is currently available in the UK and US for global flight searches, and redirects users back to Skyscanner’s site to complete bookings.
- Skyscanner joins a growing list of travel brands launching ChatGPT apps (e.g. [Booking.com](http://booking.com/), Expedia, Accor), reflecting wider industry momentum toward AI-powered, conversational search.
- Skyscanner’s chief AI officer says the firm will keep evolving travel search beyond traditional form-fills toward “dynamic, answer-led experiences”, with AI also powering its hotel and car hire tools.
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Platforms in travel
Travel by numbers
OTAs spent >$20B on sales and marketing in 2025 with paid acquisition still key
- The major online travel agencies — Airbnb, Booking Holdings, Expedia Group and [Trip.com](http://trip.com/) Group — spent a combined more than US$20 billion on sales and marketing in 2025, continuing an upward trend from ~US$17.8 billion in 2024 and US$16.8 billion in 2023.
- Big players dominate spend: Booking Holdings led with ~$8.2 billion and Expedia Group followed with nearly $7.4 billion invested, together making up over three-quarters of total spend.
- Spend still heavy on paid channels: Despite industry talk about direct channels, AI-driven efficiencies and loyalty programmes, OTAs are not meaningfully cutting reliance on paid marketing (performance, social and brand).
- Mixed strategic signals: Booking saw direct business hold steady, but invested more in social and brand in Q4; Expedia is focusing on disciplined, data-driven marketing with some AI experiments; Airbnb’s spend grew as it considers future loyalty offerings; [Trip.com](http://trip.com/) pushed spend 25% higher on promos and expansion.
- Marketing intensity remains key battle: The figures highlight ongoing competition for visibility and bookings, signalling that paid acquisition is still central to OTA growth strategies in 2025.
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Travel by numbers
Travel ad spend in NZ soars 10%
- Travel ad spend in NZ jumped ~10% in 2025, hitting about NZ$264.4m, up from NZ$240.5m in 2024 — showing strong growth driven by Kiwi enthusiasm for travel.
- Airlines dominated advertising, leading with NZ$89.6m spend (up 31.6% YoY), led by Air New Zealand, followed by Qantas and major airports; accommodation, cruises/ferries and travel agents also saw big increases.
- Consumer booking behaviour is shifting online, with 58% of Kiwis planning and booking holidays online and 18% researching online but booking via agents.
- Travel intent is high: 74% of New Zealanders would consider a cruise and nearly half plan to travel by air domestically within the next year, with UK/Europe, Sydney and Melbourne topping overseas destination interest.
- Marketers see this as competitive opportunity, with Nielsen’s data helping brands benchmark competitors and optimise where to invest to convert eyeballs into bookings.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
AI traffic converting better than Google says Airbnb
- Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said “traffic that comes from chatbots convert at a higher rate than traffic that comes from Google,” based on early data shared on the company’s Q4 2025 earnings call.
- Airbnb didn’t provide specific conversion figures or volumes, but the signal suggests visitors from conversational AI may be further along in the booking process than traditional search traffic.
- Chesky framed chatbot platforms as “very similar to search” and positioned them as top-of-funnel discovery engines, with Airbnb viewing them as potential acquisition partners.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
Mi3 digs into travel brands Q4 earnings calls around AI search
- Airbnb is treating conversational AI as a structural reset, with CEO Brian Chesky saying “traditional search is going to essentially become conversational AI search.” AI search is live to a “very small percent of traffic” as Airbnb experiments with conversational trip planning and rethinking sponsored listings for an AI-first format.
- Expedia Group is pivoting to “answer engine optimisation” and agentic compatibility, with CEO Ariane Gorin working to ensure its brands “show up prominently in GenAI searches and function effectively with agentic browsers.” While volumes are still small, each integration is delivering data and learnings as discovery shifts from links to AI answers.
- TripAdvisor is monetising AI partnerships while learning fast, working with OpenAI and others across agentic and multimodal experiences. CEO Matt Goldberg said, “We generated meaningful revenue… across licensing revenue, link-back traffic, and integrating our products,” signalling new revenue streams as AI reshapes alliances.
- Hyatt has moved early, launching an app inside ChatGPT with a live link to [Hyatt.com](http://hyatt.com/) to complete bookings. CEO Mark Hoplamazian said the group has spent two years building AI infrastructure and governance, positioning Hyatt to capture demand as guests move from search results to direct answers.
- Yelp is rebuilding local discovery around “answers and actions”, rolling out natural language search, AI-powered business highlights and an expanded Yelp Assistant to connect conversational queries directly to bookings, orders and calls — tightening the loop between discovery and transaction.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
MakeMyTrip announces strategic partnership with OpenAI
- MakeMyTrip has teamed up with OpenAI to integrate advanced AI (via OpenAI’s APIs) into its app, turning casual travel conversations into structured, bookable options for flights, hotels and extras — enabling smoother planning and bookings.
- The AI boost centres on MakeMyTrip’s generative-AI assistant Myra, which now uses OpenAI tech to interpret travellers’ natural language and deliver personalised recommendations at scale.
- This move strengthens MakeMyTrip’s AI-first approach, drawing on its travel data to respond dynamically to evolving user intent and keep customers within its ecosystem.
- Myra handles 50,000+ conversations a day in multiple Indian languages with vernacular voice support — helping MakeMyTrip expand into Tier-2 and smaller city markets.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
Wyndham partners with Google, Anthropic, and ChatGPT to direct bookings
- Wyndham is doubling down on AI distribution, partnering with Google, ChatGPT and Anthropic to power conversational hotel discovery and booking. CEO Geoffrey Ballotti said, “Soon, guests will be able to discover Wyndham properties through natural conversational interactions… [with] seamless direct bookings within AI mode.”
- The brand has integrated with Anthropic’s Claude for conversational search and is rolling out intent-driven travel search on ChatGPT via Mobi, with bookings expected to go live in Q2 2026. Ballotti called it “an early glimpse of how AI native distribution will reshape the way guests find and book our hotels.”
- The strategy is focused on boosting direct booking capture and improving guest experience, positioning AI platforms as new distribution channels rather than just marketing tools.
- Costs are currently minimal, with Ballotti noting it was “less than $100,000 to connects our MCPs to the LLMs,” and confirming there are “no transaction costs” at present as bookings redirect to Wyndham’s brand.com.
- Monetisation models may evolve, with Ballotti flagging potential ad-based models in future: “Looking forward, you’ll see ads that seek to monetize some of that… but we’ll see.”
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AI in travel
Hotel Chatbots in 2026: Booking vs Guest Service Roles
- Hotel chatbots now sit at the centre of revenue and service, not just website support.
- Booking chatbots focus on conversion, answering pricing and availability questions to drive direct reservations and upselling.
- Guest service chatbots support the full stay, handling requests, routing tasks and improving response times.
- The two serve different moments in the journey but work best together as part of a unified AI strategy.
- Platforms like TrustYou combine booking, guest service and staff support into one integrated AI system.
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AI in travel
China’s Super App Model Signals AI Led Hotel Booking Shift
- AI is shifting hotel booking decisions from travellers to algorithms that filter and select options.
- OTAs are automating pricing and distribution, reducing manual roles.
- China’s super apps show how discovery and booking can be fully integrated and algorithm led.
- Success now depends on structured, machine readable data rather than brand visibility alone.
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Platforms in travel
Google Tests Travel Ad Formats in AI Mode
- Google is testing new ad formats in AI Mode, including for travel, allowing brands to appear naturally within AI driven search conversations.
- Sponsored retailer placements will sit alongside organic recommendations, clearly labelled and integrated into discovery moments.
- Google has also launched Direct Offers in AI Mode, enabling tailored promotions to boost conversions.
- The updates support Google’s broader push towards agentic commerce, following the rollout of its Universal Commerce Protocol.
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Platforms in travel
Amadeus Shutting Down Self-Service API Portal
- Amadeus will shut down its self service developer portal on July 17 and disable existing API keys.
- The Enterprise portal remains unaffected.
- Critics say the move limits experimentation, especially as AI reshapes travel booking.
- Some warn it could slow innovation and push developers towards competitors.
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AI in digital
AI in travel
Chatbot Retargeting Comes to AI Search
- Evertune has introduced a way for brands to retarget users after they interact with AI answer engines.
- Ads are served on websites users visit after clicking through from a chatbot session, capturing high intent traffic.
- The approach uses contextual and probabilistic targeting, signalling that traditional digital tactics are moving into AI search environments.
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Travel
Travel by numbers
Direct Hotel Bookings Hold Firm in 2025, Despite OTA & AI Pressure
- Direct hotel bookings remained steady in 2025, holding their share despite growing pressure from OTAs and AI-led discovery tools.
- Hotel websites delivered the highest value per booking, reinforcing why direct channels matter for revenue, not just volume.
- Traveller behaviour is stabilising, with longer booking windows, fewer cancellations and slightly longer stays.
- The takeaway for hotels: keep investing in website UX, booking flows and metasearch to protect and grow direct demand.
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AI in travel
Korean Air Rolls Out AI Chatbot Across Digital Channels
- Korean Air has rolled out a generative AI chatbot across its website and app to improve customer support with more natural, conversational responses.
- The chatbot now supports 13 languages, making it easier for global travellers to get accurate, policy-based answers quickly.
- Customers can switch to a human agent mid-chat, with English and Korean support built in.
- More features are coming, including bookings and reservation management, as Korean Air expands the tool over time.
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Travel
Travel by numbers
Key Travel Trends for 2026
- Luxury travel is leading demand, with high-end experiences — including expedition cruises to Antarctica, the Galápagos and Arctic — plus yacht-style cruising and premium river journeys growing in popularity.
- Solo travel continues to expand across all ages, with more suppliers offering solo-friendly pricing and even couples planning individual trips alongside joint vacations.
- Remote work blended with leisure is shaping travel behaviour, as travellers extend stays and structure days to mix work with sightseeing and cultural experiences.
- Group travel among friends & family remains strong, with multigenerational and small group experiences — even including independent travellers who meet up socially — on the rise.
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Travel
Travel by numbers
$4.2 Trillion Growth and Major Shifts in Global Travel by 2050
- Travel demand is set to surge, with Google forecasting 1.9 billion more trips and US$4.2 trillion in growth by 2050 as travel becomes more mainstream globally.
- More people will travel more often, with participation rising to around 70% of the population and international travel volumes doubling.
- Asia-Pacific will lead growth, overtaking Europe in outbound travel and spend, while domestic travel still dominates overall trip volume.
- AI will reshape trip planning and booking, making AI-optimised content critical for travel brands to stay discoverable.
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Travel by numbers
Travel advertising increased 12% in 2025 fuelled by consumer demand
- Overall travel advertising jumped 12% in 2025, reaching about $684.1 m versus $610.7 m in 2024 — fuelled by strong consumer demand for travel.
- Airlines: Qantas leads the airline category, followed by Virgin Australia International, Jetstar, Emirates and Malaysia Airlines.
- Travel agents/tour operators: Flight Centre is the biggest spender in this segment, ahead of Booking.com, Scenic Tours Australia, Ignite Travel and TripADeal.
- Cruise: Cruise advertising climbed ~9%, with Viking River Cruises topping this list.
- Destinations: Tourism & Events Queensland was the largest tourism authority advertiser, ahead of South Australian Tourism Commission, Tourism Tasmania, Destination NSW and the Northern Territory.
- Digital planning is now nearly universal, about 85% of Aussies use the internet for trip planning, and over half prefer booking accommodation online.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
ALL Accor app launched in ChatGPT
- Accor has launched its ALL Accor app inside ChatGPT, letting travellers search for hotels using natural language and specify dates, guests and destinations right within ChatGPT.
- The app shows both public and loyalty (ALL) member rates plus key property details like room types, amenities and locations before redirecting users to Accor’s booking platform to complete reservations.
- It’s available in 20+ languages in markets where ChatGPT apps are supported, positioning Accor early in AI-powered travel search and planning.
- Accor says the move enhances convenience, personalisation and loyalty value, and is a distinct tool separate from its traditional mobile app.
- This follows broader travel industry adoption of ChatGPT apps by platforms like [Booking.com](http://booking.com/) and Expedia as a new distribution channel.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
Google launches City Guide to provide AI-powered personalised travel recommendations
- Google is piloting an AI-powered “City Guide” in the Google Arts & Culture app, designed to inspire travellers with personalised cultural recommendations, not just maps and logistics.
- The tool tailors suggestions based on user interests, location and timing (e.g. “today” or “this weekend”), pulling from categories like landmarks, museums, events and lesser-known local spots.
- City Guide is currently live in 11 major global cities (including Paris, Tokyo, Berlin and New York), signalling Google’s intent to test inspiration-led discovery in high-traffic destinations first.
- For marketers, this reinforces Google’s shift toward AI-driven, interest-based travel discovery, creating new pressure to optimise cultural content, events and experiences for relevance — not just search visibility.
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AI in travel
More consumers going to travel advisors with AI-built plans
- More travellers arriving with AI-built plans: Travel advisors are increasingly seeing clients turn up with ready-made itineraries generated by AI tools like ChatGPT, a shift from when advisors traditionally built plans from scratch.
- Not always perfect: Some AI itineraries miss key travel realities — one example mentioned a plan that didn’t factor in a three-hour drive between activities — showing gaps in context and local insight.
- Clients still need guidance: While many travellers enjoy using AI for trip inspiration, some lack confidence to book without professional support, signalling ongoing demand for human expertise.
- Advisors see upside: Most advisors interviewed were positive about AI’s role, seeing tools as a way to save time and boost efficiency — but emphasised that experience and personal insight remain invaluable.
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AI in travel
WiT unveils APAC 2026 travel trends
- AI transforms travel planning — AI adoption is rising fast across APAC, with a growing share of travellers using tools for itinerary building, real-time translation and personalised recommendations, shifting behaviour toward hyper-personalised travel commerce.
- Secondary cities gain traction — Searches and interest in lesser-known destinations like Fukuoka and Denpasar are outpacing traditional hotspots, driven by domestic travel growth and a desire for new experiences.
- Experience and culture lead demand — Culinary, cultural and entertainment experiences (e.g., major events, pop culture tours) are key motivators for travel, boosting intra-regional travel.
- Value-driven travel shapes decisions — Cost remains a priority for many APAC travellers, with a strong preference for affordable accommodation and more frequent, shorter stays.
- Connectivity and accessibility improve — Expanded flight networks, relaxed visa norms and more seamless digital payments are making travel across APAC easier and more appealing.
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Travel by numbers
Western Australia hits historic milestone with highest-ever international visits
- Historic international visitor milestone: Western Australia welcomed 1.024 million international visitors in the year to October 2025, marking the highest number ever recorded and signalling a full rebound from pandemic lows.
- Outperformed pre-COVID levels and forecasts: This figure exceeded the pre-pandemic record of 996,000 and saw WA recover faster than the rest of Australia, positioning it as a tourism leader nationally.
- Strategic campaigns drove demand: Major global marketing efforts — including the Walking On A Dream brand and celebrity-led initiatives like Drive the Dream with Daniel Ricciardo — helped boost awareness and bookings.
- Events & connectivity boosted appeal: High-profile events (e.g., WWE: Crown Jewel, Bledisloe Cup), expanded aviation links to 20 cities and cruise tourism reaching 160% of pre-COVID levels further spurred visitation.
- Strong economic impact: Tourism now underpins 120,000+ jobs and supports over 30,000 tourism/hospitality businesses, reinforcing its role in WA’s economic diversification strategy.
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AI in travel
Travel by numbers
AI traffic across travel searches surged across holiday period
- Travel saw a massive 539% YoY spike in AI-driven visits, making it one of the top-growing sectors for generative AI traffic, just behind retail. Big opportunity here for discovery-focused travel brands.
- AI-referred traffic delivers higher value — these visitors convert better, spend more time on site, and bounce less, suggesting strong alignment with high-intent travellers planning trips or comparing offers.
- Consumers trust AI travel suggestions: Almost half of users trust generative AI results, and 81% said it enhanced their shopping experience — this trust translates well to travel planning.
- Search experience = booking influence: With AI tools reshaping how people search, plan and compare destinations, having optimised content and presence across AI ecosystems is crucial.
- Timing matters: The report shows extended peak digital activity periods — for travel, this could mean longer booking windows and more flexible campaign planning across the season.
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