Travel Digital Digest
Marketing Intelligence Weekly
Weekly updates on the digital marketing news you need to know for the travel industry, including the latest news in travel, ai in the travel industry, data privacy, platform updates, travel marketing trends and more.
Platforms in travel
Travel by numbers
Paid vs organic Google Hotel Finder experiment
- An experiment by The Cornell Center for Hospitality Research shows when Google Hotel Finder’s free organic link is enough, and when investing in paid ads actually drives extra demand and revenue for hotels.
- Paid visibility meaningfully boosts total demand and shifts more bookings into direct channels when a hotel has high availability but low organic impressions.
- When organic exposure is already strong or inventory is tight, running paid ads delivers little incremental benefit.
- The findings give hotels an evidence‑based playbook for deciding when to activate or pause paid participation on Google Hotel Finder.
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AI in travel
Data privacy in travel
2026 travel is all about AI and biometrics according to Phocuswright analysts
- Tech‑driven travel experiences are set to boom in 2026, with Phocuswright analysts forecasting strong adoption of agentic AI for smarter booking, planning and personalised recommendations that go beyond traditional search and suggestions.
- Biometric systems will streamline travel — from airport check‑ins to hotel access — improving convenience, security and the overall customer journey.
- Personalisation is the new normal, as travellers increasingly seek tailored, authentic experiences over generic packages, with AI empowering hyper‑targeted offerings.
- Emerging markets are reshaping demand, especially in the Middle East (luxury/ecotourism focus) and Asia (notably India and South Korea), influencing future travel and hospitality strategies.
- Challenges remain, including data governance, digital identity integration and adapting to dynamic AI‑powered pricing models that affect revenue and customer satisfaction.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
Agoda says localisation and AI key to success for Asia hotels
- Agoda highlights localisation as a major competitive advantage — properties adapting to local languages, payment methods and cultural preferences see better conversion, loyalty and guest satisfaction.
- Data backs the strategy: hotels with advanced localisation report up to ~99 % higher satisfaction, ~95 % more repeat bookings and stronger pricing power.
- AI and tech tools are part of the solution, helping platforms and hotels personalise experiences from search to stay (interview context emphasises seamless, intuitive processes supported by tech).
- Key takeaway for hotels: blending global reach with deep local relevance — culturally and digitally — is essential to thrive in Asia’s fast‑growing tourism scene.
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Travel by numbers
APAC airline demand up >9% with heightened international demand
- APAC airlines demand up ~9% in late‑2025: Asia‑Pacific carriers saw a strong year‑on‑year increase in passenger demand (~9.3%) for November 2025, outperforming many other regions despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region. Total demand (RPK) and capacity grew, and load factors were high, signalling robust travel appetite.
- Strong international travel drive: International demand outpaced domestic growth, with APAC international travel up ~7.7% overall, suggesting that cross‑border leisure and business travel remains resilient even with some China–Japan traffic slowing.
- Record load factors: Load factors hit record highs for November (over ~83–85% in many measures), indicating airlines are filling a high proportion of available seats — a strong signal of efficient capacity usage and healthy consumer demand.
- Geopolitical context not dampening overall growth: While geopolitical tensions (e.g., slower China–Japan traffic growth) are noted, they haven’t significantly dented overall demand — pointing to the region’s travel resilience and opportunity for airlines and travel brands.
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Platforms in travel
Sprout Social shares how influencers are now key to UK travel marketing
- Influencer partnerships are now central to UK travel marketing, with creators acting as modern destination guides and turning authentic social content into real bookings and loyalty — especially with younger travellers who trust creator stories over traditional ads.
- Authenticity and alignment matter most — real, experience‑driven content that reflects an influencer’s genuine travel style (e.g., eco‑travel vs luxury escapes) resonates better and drives engagement than polished, generic ads.
- Choose the right channels strategically: TikTok excels at short‑form wanderlust and tips, Instagram mixes aspirational visuals and practical advice, and YouTube is great for long‑form planning content — each reaching different traveller mindsets.
- Vet partners beyond surface metrics — check audience geography, engagement quality and travel ethics to avoid wasted spend and brand risk.
- Best practice = clarity + measurement: clear briefs, transparent compensation, and performance tracking help build trust and show ROI, making influencer campaigns more effective and scalable.
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Platforms in travel
Travel by numbers
Travel searches for Eastern Europe and New Zealand rising according to KAYAK report
- Travel interest is rising significantly for Eastern Europe and New Zealand in 2026, according to KAYAK’s Travel Trends Forecast, with demand up and airfares dropping.
- Eastern European destinations like Prague (+180%), Sofia (+136%) and Krakow (+106%) are among the fastest‑growing searches, showing strong interest from global travellers.
- Christchurch, New Zealand saw a 194% surge in flight interest, becoming the fastest‑growing destination — helped by new nonstop flight services.
- Airfares are decreasing in multiple markets — e.g., Sarajevo (-36%), Split (-33%), and Italy’s Naples/Florence (-26%) — making travel more affordable and encouraging trip planning.
- Broader patterns include increased summer 2026 international flight searches (~+9%) and strong interest in destinations influenced by pop culture or major events (e.g., Milan ahead of the Winter Games).
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Platforms
Platforms in travel
Google Maps can now be selected in Demand Gen campaigns
- Google Maps is now a selectable channel in Demand Gen campaigns — advertisers can include Maps placements alongside YouTube, Discover, Gmail, etc., or even run Maps‑only Demand Gen campaigns.
- This adds location‑centric reach to Demand Gen, letting brands show visual ads where people are actively exploring places, routes and local businesses — essentially tapping high‑intent discovery moments.
- It gives much finer control than before, moving Demand Gen from a mostly automated mix into something marketers can tailor more precisely by channel.
- Local and multi‑location advertisers stand to benefit most, especially for driving foot traffic or awareness where Maps usage aligns with real‑world decisions.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
Alexa+ adds Expedia travel booking by voice
- Amazon is integrating Expedia into its generative‑AI‑powered Alexa+ assistant so users can conversationally search, compare, book and manage hotel and accommodation reservations through natural language voice commands, not just browse and click.
- This capability is part of Alexa+’s expanded agentic features launching throughout 2026, marking a shift from passive voice answers to AI agents that can complete complex tasks like travel bookings.
- Alexa+ will use Expedia’s inventory to tailor suggestions by criteria like location, room type, price range and other preferences, and can finalise bookings directly once the user confirms.
- Expedia is one of several partners (alongside Yelp, Angi and Square) that turn Alexa+ into a multi‑service agent — from travel and local business discovery to appointments and home services.
- This reflects a broader trend of voice assistants moving into agentic AI, acting more like personal concierges that can execute transactions rather than just provide information — something that could reshape travel tech interactions and distribution channels.
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AI in travel
AI is changing travel: “This is how ChatGPT is killing our business”
- From using mobile phone digital keys and porter robots in hotels to AI chatbots planning holidays, new tech is eliminating “typical travel pain points such as queues, misunderstandings, or misinformation”, according to McKinsey & Co.
- A Norwegian operator tweeted “This is how ChatGPT is killing our small local business”, highlighting how generative AI can divert traffic from local sites and platforms.
- Marketing expert Dr Marianna Sigala said travel planning via AI brings “hyper‑personalisation”, altering everything from destination choice to itinerary building.
- The article notes that AI‑planned itineraries might nudge tourists away from overcrowded hotspots or even replace some actual travel with virtual experiences like digital twins of major attractions.
- Despite tech advances, survey respondents preferred tech that “replace certain tasks … not workers”, and stressed “we still need that human warmness … we still need to talk with humans” when experiencing travel.
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AI in travel
2026 and the future of travel marketing
- AI is reshaping the travel funnel – from inspiration to post-trip engagement, AI tools like chatbots and virtual agents are now key touchpoints in the customer journey.
- Chatbots are doing more than customer service – they’re now central to conversion, handling real-time recommendations, upselling, and personalised booking flows.
- VR is becoming part of the pre-booking playbook – marketers can use virtual destination previews to boost traveller confidence and reduce drop-off rates.
- Agentic AI means hands-free planning – think of AI that not only suggests, but books and reschedules trips autonomously, offering a new frontier for loyalty and CX strategies.
- Human + AI hybrid experiences are the sweet spot – marketers should focus on blending automation with personal service to build trust and drive retention.
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AI in digital
AI in travel
Platforms
Platforms in travel
Google Labs unleashes AI-powered browser, Disco
- Disco is an experimental AI‑powered browser experience from Google Labs that reimagines how browsing works by turning your open tabs into interactive, task‑focused mini web apps.
- Using Google’s Gemini 3 model, Disco’s GenTabs feature analyses what you’re doing across tabs and natural language prompts, then dynamically generates a custom web app to help you complete that task (e.g., trip planner, meal organiser, study tool).
- Rather than passive browsing, Disco blends browsing + action — users open real web pages, and GenTabs synthesises them into an interactive interface tailored to your goal.
- This is an early prototype available via a waitlist, initially on macOS, with Google gathering feedback and potentially evolving ideas into broader Chrome features later.
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Travel by numbers
Phocuswright releases Travel Forward Report for 2026: Key trends revealed
- The worldwide travel market is projected to reach US$1.67 trillion in gross bookings in 2025/26, with travel and tourism contributing over US$11.7 trillion to global GDP and supporting ~371 million jobs, showing resilience despite economic headwinds.
- Online bookings are forecast to rise ~8% to US$1.07 trillion, while AI use for travel planning is mainstream — ~58 % of active U.S. travellers use AI tools and ~39 % for research/planning — signalling a meaningful shift in how trips are planned.
- OTAs are set to generate about US$408 billion in bookings, particularly strong in lodging and emerging markets, even as suppliers push direct channels and digital maturity increases.
- The report highlights evolving dynamics in short‑term rentals, luxury travel, corporate travel and loyalty programmes, driven by tech, shifting consumer preferences and regional growth differences.
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Travel by numbers
Hotels at advanced localisation stages report a 59% stronger RevPAR, according to Agoda report
- Multilingual capabilities = bookings boost: Hotels using multilingual platforms like Agoda saw a ~59% stronger RevPAR impact, proving that speaking your customer’s language online pays off.
- Language impacts loyalty and spend: Guests are more satisfied and willing to spend more when hotels localise booking and communication touchpoints in their native language.
- Most hotels not doing enough: Only one-third of hotels go beyond surface-level translation — missing out on the full value of integrated multilingual strategies across marketing, booking, and on-site services.
- Asia’s diverse markets demand nuance: With Asia now leading in international travel growth, offering tailored, language-specific online experiences is more critical than ever.
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AI in travel
Expedia Group goes all in on AI but believes it still requires human input
- Expedia Group, which appointed its first chief AI and data officer this month, believes AI content can work, so long as it still has a human touch.
- In an experiment, Expedia showed participants a mix of non-AI-enhanced, AI-enhanced and fully AI content. “A good percentage of the travelers really didn't mind, and actually, I don't want to say they preferred [it], but they did not mind the AI-enhanced content as long as it did have some human touch in it as well,” Rob Torres, SVP of media solutions and retail partnerships for Expedia Group.
- However, he cautioned that it is still early days, and testing is key to identify effective AI tactics in travel marketing. “Good content creators are not going away, good marketing is not going away because … that art is a big part of the creative process.”
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AI in travel
Travel by numbers
Almost 40% of US travellers use gen AI for trip planning
- Nearly 40% of U.S. travellers used generative‑AI (gen AI) tools in the past 12 months for trip research — up 11 percentage points in just a year, according to Phocuswright’s latest research.
- Traditional search remains the dominant research tool, but its share is falling as AI‑powered discovery grows — suggesting gen AI could soon eclipse classic search for travel planning.
- Use of gen AI for travel is highest among Millennials; the “AI‑using traveller” tends to be younger, wealthier, takes more trips (incl. international), and spends more per year than average.
- Despite rising comfort with AI in planning, many travellers still rely on trusted human‑centric sources — friends/family opinions and peer reviews remain more influential than AI recommendations.
- Key travel decisions — from destination choice to bookings — are increasingly influenced by AI outputs, reshaping how inspiration and intent converge in trip planning.
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AI in travel
Otto The Agent, AI assistant for business travellers, launches publicly
- Otto The Agent — an AI‑powered “executive assistant” for business travellers — has launched to the public after nine months in closed beta.
- The platform, built by travel‑industry veterans including former execs from Expedia Group, Egencia and Concur, aims to give every business traveller concierge‑level support — something usually reserved for top execs.
- Otto learns a user’s preferences — airlines, hotels, loyalty programmes, even seat and room‑type quirks — and can plan, book, cancel or rebook trips entirely within its interface.
- It integrates with travellers’ calendars and can proactively detect upcoming trips, suggesting itineraries and adjusting plans if things change (e.g. a meeting time shifts or a flight is grounded).
- For now, Otto supports flights and hotels — but its future roadmap includes adding car rentals and even dinner‑reservations, to more fully replicate what a human executive assistant would handle.
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AI in travel
Asia’s first AI-powered conversational cruise search
- Int2Cruises has launched what it calls Asia’s first AI‑powered conversational cruise search, letting users find cruises via natural‑language text or voice commands.
- The tool spans a huge catalogue — more than 25 international cruise lines, 300+ destinations and 50,000+ itineraries globally.
- Users can simply type or speak everyday travel wishes, e.g. “Cruise from Barcelona in May 2026” or “Family‑friendly cruises in the Bahamas,” and get tailored cruise options within seconds.
- By using advanced natural‑language processing, the AI understands traveller intent and returns relevant matches — removing the need to rummage through long lists or complex filters.
- The launch marks a shift in travel technology toward more intuitive, mobile‑first planning — potentially lowering the barrier for people to discover and book cruise holidays.
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Travel by numbers
Travellers look for more “meaningful journeys” according to new Minor Hotels report
- Travellers today are gravitating towards “meaningful journeys,” looking for emotional, relational and spiritual connection rather than just ticking off destinations — prompting hotels like Minor Hotels to shift focus from mere service delivery to creating deeper, purpose‑driven experiences.
- According to the report, 94% of respondents plan to travel as much or more in 2026, with one‑third anticipating more trips, and 47% intending to spend more — among luxury travellers, 61% foresee increased travel frequency.
- The emphasis is firmly on quality over quantity: travellers want personal value and memorable experiences, not just more frequent trips.
- Practical constraints still shape decisions: 53% cite affordability as a major factor, followed by seasonality, ease of travel and time; over half book within three months of departure.
- When planning, 80% of travellers use hotel websites, far outpacing personal recommendations (35%) and online‑travel agents (29%), while newer tools such as generative‑AI chatbots are beginning to gain traction (12%).
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Travel by numbers
Global tourism arrivals up 5% in 2025
- Global tourism arrivals rose 5% Jan–Sept 2025, with over 1.1 billion travellers, despite inflation and global tensions.
- Africa and Europe led the rebound, with Africa up 10% and Europe attracting 625M tourists—boosted by a strong summer.
- Asia-Pacific grew 8%, nearing full recovery to pre-pandemic levels; North-East Asia surged 17%.
- Brazil (+45%), Vietnam, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Japan saw standout growth, surpassing 2019 tourist numbers.
- Spending is up too, with Japan (+21%) and Brazil (+12%) among top performers in tourism receipts.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
Virgin Australia teams up with OpenAI to provide AI-powered flight search
- Virgin Australia has struck a landmark deal with OpenAI — making it the first Australian airline to build AI-powered flight search and planning using OpenAI’s platform.
- The plan: customers will soon be able to describe their desired travel — e.g. dates, destinations, preferences — in natural language (e.g. via ChatGPT), and be served relevant Virgin Australia flights — “no filters, no tabs, just conversation.”
- Internally, Virgin Australia will also equip staff with secure, enterprise‑grade AI tools — improving staff workflows, customer service and operational efficiency.
- This move builds on Virgin’s earlier AI efforts: they’ve already launched an “AI Trip Planner” and use AI-driven systems for demand forecasting and dynamic pricing — the OpenAI partnership marks the next step in their digital transformation.
- For Australian travellers, it signals a shift: flight‑search could become more intuitive, personalised and conversational — potentially making trip planning simpler and more seamless for users.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
Emirates teams up with OpenAI
- Emirates Group has struck a strategic deal with OpenAI to roll out AI across its operations — deploying ChatGPT Enterprise across the company and setting up a dedicated “AI Centre of Excellence.”
- The deal includes company‑wide AI literacy programmes, sandbox‑style technical experimentation, and alignment sessions with leadership to embed AI tools into commercial, operational, and customer‑facing functions.
- For its part, OpenAI’s Rod Solaimani (Regional Director, MENA & Central Asia) said: “Emirates Group has laid out a bold vision for how AI can transform the future of aviation… embedding intelligence across their operations, empowering teams … and reimagining the travel experience for millions of customers.”
- The collaboration aims to unlock efficiencies in areas such as demand forecasting, crew management, predictive operations and personalised customer service — signalling a major step from isolated tech pilots to enterprise‑scale AI integration in aviation.
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AI in travel
63% of Asian travellers will use AI for their next trip
- According to Agoda’s 2026 Travel Outlook Report AI is the new travel essential.
- AI is becoming a go-to travel tool in Asia, with 63% of travellers likely to use it for planning their next trip – showing strong trust and adoption in tech-led travel.
- Trust in AI is improving, with 44% of people saying they somewhat or completely trust AI-generated travel info, while only 12% express distrust.
- Asian travellers want AI at every stage, from trip inspiration and itinerary creation to bookings and real-time navigation.
- Top features in demand include local attraction recommendations, translation services, and personalised travel plans – making AI a multifunctional travel companion.
- The trend signals a major shift in how marketers should engage travellers – prioritising AI-powered, hyper-personalised content and experiences.
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AI in travel
Travel by numbers
65% of US travellers will use AI to plan trips by EOY 2026
- According to a new report by Bain & Company, 65% of US travellers will use AI to plan trips by the end of 2026.
- Research and itinerary planning will be the most affected stage of the user journey, with it to become “entrenched” in 2026. We are currently in the “advanced” stage.
- Inspiration and discovery, as well as booking, will reach the “advanced” stage in 2026.
- It is also predicted that AI will boost ancillary revenues, via personalised upgrades, retail media, and more, rising to 25% as a proportion of overall revenue for large US travel suppliers by the end of 2026.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
Google rolls out more AI features in Search for Travel
- Google is expanding AI‑powered features in Search to help users plan entire trips, including building itineraries, finding flights/hotels and booking services.
- The new “Canvas in AI Mode” turns planning into a collaborative workspace: you can tell it your travel needs and it pulls in real‑time flight/hotel data, Maps info (photos/reviews), helps compare amenities and lets follow‑up refinement.
- They’re rolling out “Flight Deals” globally (200 + countries) — you simply describe where/when/how you’d like to travel and the AI surfaces bargain destinations and fares.
- Agentic AI booking is coming: you can describe the type of restaurant/reservation/event you want and AI will check availability across multiple platforms (e.g., restaurants, events) with direct links to book.
- In the future they aim to let users complete bookings for flights and hotels directly via the AI Mode — Google is teaming up with travel‑industry partners (e.g., hotels and booking sites) to build this.
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Travel by numbers
Reliance on OTAs increasing according to Siteminder’s Changing Traveller Report 2026
- OTAs have overtaken search engines as the top starting point for hotel searches, with 26% of travellers starting there vs. 21% using search engines.
- Word-of-mouth and AI-powered tools are gaining traction, especially among younger travellers, with 80% wanting AI features like price alerts.
- The OTA-to-direct booking path is growing, and dynamic pricing is now accepted by 65% of travellers.
- Event-driven travel and demand for higher-end stays are trending upwards, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials.
- Traveller preferences vary by region, highlighting the need for tailored marketing and booking experiences.
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AI in travel
Platforms in travel
Google Maps adds Insider Tips and Explore tab
- Google Maps is adding a new “Insider Tips” feature powered by Gemini AI that gives users “know before you go” insights like dress code, parking hints, secret menu items and best reservation timing.
- The app’s Explore tab is being updated: users can swipe up to find trending nearby spots, curated lists from influencers and trusted sources (e.g., Lonely Planet, OpenTable) and new experiences.
- These features are rolling out now in the U.S. for Android and iOS (for some), with global rollout of Explore tab later this month.
- For marketers: this means Google Maps is becoming more of a discovery and planning platform — so optimising your listing (dress code info, parking, special offers) and getting included in curated lists or influencer‑powered spots might help boost visibility.
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Platforms in travel
Hotel Price Callouts now live in Microsoft Ads
- Microsoft Advertising has rolled out global support for callouts in Hotel Price Ads, mirroring Lodging Campaigns and now covering all languages as of October 2025.
- These callouts let travel advertisers easily showcase booking perks like free cancellation or breakfast included, helping drive engagement.
- Callouts can be added to both new and existing campaigns or ad groups, making updates seamless.
- Crucially, callouts auto-match the user’s language setting—French users see French callouts, ensuring more relevant ad experiences.
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Platforms in travel
Travel by numbers
YouTube top travel inspo source in India according to Google-Kantar Report
- 68% of Indian travellers use YouTube for travel inspiration, making it the top source for travel dreaming in India.
- 59% of those travellers say they trust creators they watch on YouTube when planning trips.
- 85% prefer to book travel online, indicating digital‑touchpoints have become central across the travel process (inspiration → research → booking).
- Three quarters (72%) of domestic travellers say cost matters less than before, and 81% expect to splurge for better experiences.
- The report by Kantar for Google India outlines four distinct traveller archetypes (Memory Makers, Globe Trotters, Novice Travellers, Religious Pilgrims) — each heavily using creator‑led video content.
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AI in digital
AI in travel
Platforms
Platforms in travel
Google Maps gets smarter with Gemini
- Google Maps is introducing hands‑free, conversational navigation via Gemini: you can ask things like “What vegan‑friendly restaurant’s along my route?” and it will handle multi‑step tasks.
- It’s adding landmark‑based navigation, meaning directions will reference real‑world visible landmarks (e.g., “turn right after the Thai Siam restaurant”) instead of just street names or distances.
- There’s a new proactive traffic‑alert system: you’ll get notifications of unexpected closures or heavy jams even if you’re not already navigating.
- Plus, the “Lens built with Gemini” mode lets you point your camera at a café/shop/restaurant and ask natural questions like “What’s popular here?” or “Should I stop here?” — essentially bridging augmented reality + search.
- Roll‑out is initially in the U.S. (Android & iOS) for landmark navigation and proactive alerts; Lens mode comes later this month in the U.S.
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AI in digital
AI in travel
Platforms
Platforms in travel
AI Mode experiments with agentic booking for tickets, restaurants, and more
- Google’s AI Mode is now experimenting with agentic booking — meaning it can search across multiple sites and help users book things like restaurants, events and wellness appointments in one go.
- The rollout is currently US‑only, in English, as part of the Search Labs experiment. Restaurant bookings are available to all eligible users; event tickets and wellness bookings are available to subscribers of Google’s higher tiers (Pro/Ultra) with bigger usage limits.
- Restaurants: specify party size, date & time, location, cuisine, and AI Mode returns available slots + booking links.
- Event tickets: users can say e.g. “2 cheap tickets for X”, prefer standing floor etc., and get a list of options + links.
- Wellness appointments: shows real‑time availability from local booking platforms and links to finalise.
- And of course travel bookings can’t be far behind with Sundar Pichai stating last week: “We're working on multiple agentic experiences across key verticals such as travel, commerce shopping and so on.”
- Having real‑time, structured data (availability, pricing, timeslots, etc) and deep‑link-friendly booking flows becomes more important so you’re surfaced in these agentic experiences.
- Users still complete the actual booking on the provider’s site (AI Mode links through) so you’ll want to ensure your booking UX and tracking is solid.
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