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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.

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AI Travellers Are Spending Big
AI in travel Travel by numbers

AI Travellers Are Spending Big

  • Travellers using AI tools for trip planning are emerging as the travel industry’s highest-value customers, according to new research from Phocuswright. They take more holidays and spend nearly AU$2,000 more annually on leisure travel than non-AI users.
  • AI-savvy travellers are also more digitally engaged, using an average of four online tools to research and book trips compared to just 2.2 for non-users. The study suggests AI is becoming an important part of the customer journey rather than replacing traditional channels entirely.
  • Demographically, AI travel users skew younger and wealthier, with a median household income of roughly AU$179,200 versus AU$144,200 for non-users. They also travel more frequently, averaging 3.8 leisure trips per year compared to 2.9.
  • “AI in travel has crossed a critical threshold, moving from experimentation to expectation,” said Mike Coletta, senior manager of research and innovation at Phocuswright. “What’s striking is not just the scale, but the speed. In a matter of months, usage has surged across every generation, every touchpoint, and every stage of the journey. Yet this is not a story of disruption replacing the old guard. It is a story of augmentation, where AI is rapidly reshaping how travelers discover, plan and book, while traditional channels still hold meaningful ground. For industry leaders, the implication is clear. This is a pivotal moment to understand how AI fits into the traveler decision journey, because the companies that get it right now will define the next era of travel.”
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Trivago Takes Google to Court
Platforms in travel

Trivago Takes Google to Court

  • Trivago has filed an antitrust suit against Google, claiming it favoured its own hotel metasearch and pushed travellers away from competitors.
  • The case covers January 2014 to December 2025 and will proceed before the Regional Court of Hamburg in Germany.
  • Trivago is seeking “full compensation” for damages, arguing Google’s dominance weakened competition and harmed travellers.
  • Alongside the suit, Trivago reported Q1 revenue up 15% year on year to €142.9 million, marking its fifth straight quarter of double-digit revenue growth.
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Expedia’s AI Push Fuels Record Q1 Profit
AI in travel Platforms in travel

Expedia’s AI Push Fuels Record Q1 Profit

  • Expedia Group posted its “highest first-quarter profitability in our history”, with adjusted EBITDA up 83% year-on-year to US$542 million as revenue climbed 15% to US$3.4 billion. Gross bookings also rose 13% to US$35.5 billion.
  • CEO Ariane Gorin credited Expedia’s AI investments for improving both customer experience and conversion rates. “Travelers who use AI filters return more often and convert at higher rates,” she said, pointing to stronger performance across Vrbo and Expedia.
  • AI is also helping Expedia scale supply faster, with the company now offering nearly 3.7 million properties globally, including 800,000 exclusive listings. Gorin said AI tools are accelerating partner onboarding and uncovering “deeper patterns” in traveller behaviour.
  • B2B was a standout growth driver, with B2B gross bookings up 22% and revenue increasing 25% year-on-year. Expedia maintained its full-year guidance despite what Gorin described as a “dynamic macroeconomic environment”.
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Mindtrip Bets Big on Agentic AI Travel
AI in travel Platforms in travel

Mindtrip Bets Big on Agentic AI Travel

  • Mindtrip has launched a new AI-powered flight booking experience that lets travellers search, compare and book flights through a single conversational interface, removing the need for traditional filters and multiple booking steps.
  • The platform was built in partnership with Sabre and PayPal, combining Sabre’s travel APIs with PayPal’s payment infrastructure to create an end-to-end AI booking ecosystem.
  • Unlike standard AI trip planners, the new “agentic AI” model is designed to complete tasks autonomously, including managing complex itineraries, comparing routes and helping users make booking decisions in real time.
  • Mindtrip says flights are only the beginning, with hotel bookings and broader travel management capabilities expected to roll out next as the company pushes towards a fully AI-driven travel experience.
  • The launch highlights how travel is becoming one of the fastest-moving industries for agentic AI adoption, with brands racing to turn AI assistants from recommendation engines into fully transactional booking tools.
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AI Adoption Surges Across Travel, But Scaling Still Lags
AI in travel Travel by numbers

AI Adoption Surges Across Travel, But Scaling Still Lags

  • HBX Group’s latest report found 65% of travel distributors are already using AI, but most are still stuck in pilot mode rather than embedding it into core operations.
  • The strongest use cases right now are practical and customer-facing, including content creation and customer support, rather than fully automated workflows or decision-making systems.
  • While sentiment towards AI is positive, scaling remains the biggest challenge. Lack of training and support (26%), low trust in AI tools (20%), and integration issues (14%) are slowing adoption across the sector.
  • More than half of respondents (55%) believe AI will be critical to future success, signalling strong long-term confidence even as operational maturity lags behind.
  • HBX Group says the next phase of AI adoption will shift from experimentation to execution, with businesses focusing on automation, workflow efficiency and measurable commercial outcomes.
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Rakuten AI Now Books Hotels Too
AI in travel Platforms in travel

Rakuten AI Now Books Hotels Too

  • Rakuten Travel has added end-to-end booking into its AI hotel recommendation tool, meaning travellers can now search, compare and complete reservations in one conversational flow.
  • The AI agent uses natural language prompts to recommend up to 30 hotel options using reviews, booking data, web search results and accommodation details, then guides users through checkout without leaving the interface.
  • Logged-in Rakuten members get a more personalised experience, with coupons, loyalty points and saved payment details automatically applied. The system can also suggest repeat bookings based on previous stays and offer alternatives when rooms are unavailable.
  • Rakuten says usage and booking conversion rates have steadily increased since the AI tool launched in September 2025, reinforcing the value of reducing friction between discovery and transaction.
  • The move signals a broader shift toward “agentic AI” in travel, where platforms aim to own the entire customer journey inside a single interface instead of handing users off to multiple pages or providers.
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Amadeus acquires Idemia biometrics and identity technology
Platforms in travel

Amadeus acquires Idemia biometrics and identity technology

  • Amadeus has agreed to acquire Idemia Public Security for around €1.2 billion, expanding its capabilities in biometric identity and border control technology
  • The deal will integrate Idemia’s fingerprint, facial recognition, and identity systems into Amadeus’ travel platform, spanning airlines, airports, hotels, and border control
  • Strategically, it positions Amadeus to deliver end to end travel journeys, using biometrics as a core layer from booking through to boarding and border checks
  • The acquisition reflects growing demand for faster, more secure, and automated travel experiences, as biometric identity becomes a key infrastructure layer in the travel ecosystem
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Uber expands into travel with hotel bookings and new in app features
AI in travel Platforms in travel

Uber expands into travel with hotel bookings and new in app features

  • Uber has partnered with Expedia to let users book hotels directly in the app, with access to hundreds of thousands of properties globally
  • The move is part of Uber’s push to become an “everything app”, combining rides, food, and now travel into a single platform experience
  • New travel features include Travel Mode, offering local recommendations, restaurant bookings, and delivery to hotels, positioning Uber as a travel concierge
  • Additional updates like unified search and AI powered features aim to simplify planning by letting users manage multiple tasks in one place
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Trifork acquires VION AI to accelerate real time operational intelligence in aviation
AI in travel

Trifork acquires VION AI to accelerate real time operational intelligence in aviation

  • Trifork has acquired VION AI to strengthen its aviation business and expand its ability to deliver real time, data driven solutions for airlines and airports
  • VION AI specialises in capturing frontline operational data, particularly during aircraft turnaround, giving airlines better visibility into on ground activity
  • The technology will be integrated into Trifork’s iFly4 platform, enabling faster decision making, reduced delays, and improved on time performance
  • The move reflects growing demand for AI powered operational intelligence in aviation, as airlines look to improve efficiency and manage increasing complexity
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DirectBooker partners with hotel chains to power AI travel bookings
AI in travel

DirectBooker partners with hotel chains to power AI travel bookings

  • DirectBooker has signed deals with major hotel groups including BWH and Radisson, connecting their inventory directly to AI platforms like ChatGPT and Claude
  • The platform delivers real time hotel data such as availability, rates, and inventory into AI assistants, enabling users to plan and book trips within AI conversations
  • It aims to help hotels drive more direct bookings by surfacing member rates and perks that are not available through online travel agencies
  • The move reflects a broader shift in travel discovery towards AI led search, creating an opportunity for hotels to reduce reliance on intermediaries and regain control of customer relationships
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Just 16% of global hotel supply visible in AI search results
AI in travel Travel by numbers

Just 16% of global hotel supply visible in AI search results

  • Only ~16% of global hotel supply is visible in generative AI search results, based on analysis of 131,000 properties across 30 countries—meaning the vast majority of hotels are effectively absent from AI-driven trip planning.
  • AI is compressing discovery into a handful of recommendations, not long lists—so if a hotel isn’t surfaced, it may “never enter the consideration set”, creating a new high-stakes distribution layer.
  • Visibility is heavily skewed: major chains dominate (with seven parent groups owning most of the top 25 spots), creating a two-tier system of brands that are “known”… and those that are invisible to AI.
  • Many hotels are structurally unprepared: issues like poor schema markup, JavaScript-heavy sites and vague “aspirational” copy limit AI readability, while stronger performance comes from clear, factual content, consistent listings and fresh reviews.
  • Adoption is lagging—3 in 10 hospitality businesses aren’t using AI at all—yet early movers are already seeing gains like “stronger direct discovery… higher conversion intent and less dependence on traditional paid channels.”
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KAYAK announces Ask AI enabling users to book in chat
AI in travel Platforms in travel

KAYAK announces Ask AI enabling users to book in chat

  • KAYAK has launched “Ask AI”, a conversational travel planning tool that lets users search, compare and book trips within a single chat interface, with live flight, hotel and car hire results updating alongside the conversation.
  • The product blends AI chat with traditional search functionality, aiming to remove friction from planning by keeping everything in one place rather than switching tabs or restarting searches.
  • Timing is strategic: the launch aligns with rising demand ahead of the World Cup, with KAYAK reporting a 23% increase in flight searches to U.S. host cities and growing complexity in multi-city trip planning.
  • KAYAK positions this as an evolution of travel search behaviour, with Chief Product Officer Matthias Keller noting: “Ask AI is the next evolution, combining both in a single, seamless user experience.”
  • The platform also taps into real-time data and trends, helping travellers navigate shifting prices and availability as demand spikes around major global events.
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Tripadvisor and Viator launch inside Claude AI
AI in travel Platforms in travel

Tripadvisor and Viator launch inside Claude AI

  • Tripadvisor and Viator have launched inside Anthropic’s Claude, letting users get travel recommendations directly in-chat and then book via the platforms.
  • Users can ask Claude for hotel or experience ideas, refine results with follow-ups, and browse “photos, reviews, ratings and prices” without leaving the conversation before being redirected to complete bookings.
  • The move reflects changing behaviour, with Tripadvisor noting: “Travelers don’t plan in just one place… they move between apps, websites, platforms and devices throughout the planning process.”
  • Tripadvisor is doubling down on an ecosystem approach, building across multiple AI platforms (including Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity) to stay embedded throughout the planning journey.
  • The company has also expanded its Amazon partnership, enabling Alexa+ voice interactions where travellers can ask for ideas and receive personalised itineraries powered by Tripadvisor content.
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The future of travel sits with AI and data
AI in travel

The future of travel sits with AI and data

  • AI is set to become the backbone of travel by 2046, with intelligent agents handling planning, booking, and decision-making—potentially replacing traditional discovery channels as early as 2029.
  • Trust will be the new currency, built through micro-interactions and user signals, but increasingly fragmented—creating both opportunity and risk for brands navigating AI-driven ecosystems.
  • Personalisation powered by deep data will define competitive advantage, but could erode brand visibility as AI agents prioritise the “source of truth” over traditional intermediaries.
  • Access to travel may become more unequal, shaped by pricing, regulation, and geopolitics, with destinations actively restricting entry to manage overtourism.
  • The industry faces a tension between democratisation and monopolisation—AI could empower niche players, but control of data may concentrate power among a few dominant platforms.
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There’s a trust gap in AI according to Expedia Group survey
AI in travel Data privacy in travel Platforms in travel Travel by numbers

There’s a trust gap in AI according to Expedia Group survey

  • AI is gaining traction in early-stage travel planning, with 53% of travellers open to AI suggestions and nearly half saying it saves time and improves discovery—but it’s still far from mainstream usage.
  • There’s a clear “trust gap” when it comes to bookings: 68% prefer established travel brands, and only 8% are comfortable completing transactions via AI platforms.
  • Key barriers are control and privacy—over half of respondents worry about losing control (57%), data security (57%), and misuse of personal information (56%).
  • Traditional channels still dominate planning, with search engines (59%) and online travel agencies (49%) far outweighing AI tools (just 8%).
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Amadeus report reveals 69% of travellers rely solely on AI when trip planning
AI in travel Platforms in travel Travel by numbers

Amadeus report reveals 69% of travellers rely solely on AI when trip planning

  • The standout stat from Amadeus’ Travel Dreams 2026 report is that 69% of travellers now rely solely on AI-generated search summaries when planning trips. For marketers, this shifts the focus from traditional SEO to optimising for generative search visibility.
  • AI investment across hospitality is accelerating to support this shift, with most hotels allocating significant budgets toward tools like revenue management, forecasting and chatbots that can feed into these AI-driven discovery moments.
  • Despite the rise of AI-led planning, travellers still expect a human touch during their stay. The winning model is AI working behind the scenes to personalise and streamline experiences, not replace frontline service.
  • The report also highlights growing demand for wellbeing, sustainability and tailored experiences. AI will play a key role in delivering on these expectations at scale, but only when paired with thoughtful operational changes.
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SiteMinder goes all-in on AI for hotel distribution
AI in travel Platforms in travel

SiteMinder goes all-in on AI for hotel distribution

  • SiteMinder is pushing hotel distribution into the AI era, rolling out new capabilities that connect its 53,000 hotels to AI-driven booking pathways and platforms like ChatGPT and Claude.
  • Its Demand Plus product now extends into conversational AI, allowing travellers to discover hotels via curated recommendations, see live rates and book directly on hotel websites.
  • A second expansion, Channels Plus, opens hotel inventory to AI-powered OTAs and intermediaries, enabling end-to-end booking experiences directly on partner platforms.
  • The move taps into strong consumer demand, with 80% of travellers now wanting AI assistance when booking, signalling a major shift in how travel discovery happens.
  • Backed by real-time data via Model Context Protocol (MCP), SiteMinder is positioning itself as critical infrastructure for hotels to stay visible and competitive in AI-led travel journeys.
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Southeast Asia cruise market ripe for travel marketers
Travel by numbers

Southeast Asia cruise market ripe for travel marketers

  • Southeast Asia’s cruise market is small in volume (just 2% of global passengers) but delivers outsized value, generating US$10B in 2024 and 2.4x higher spend per traveller than the global average—making cruise tourists a premium audience for marketers.
  • Cruise travellers act as a powerful acquisition funnel: 85% rate their experience positively and 47% plan to return for land-based trips, positioning cruises as a gateway to longer-term tourism and brand engagement.
  • Spending is diverse and high-impact, with US$5.6B in direct cruise-linked spend across wages, logistics, marketing and passenger purchases—highlighting multiple touchpoints for brand partnerships.
  • The market is geographically concentrated, with Singapore and Malaysia accounting for 70% of passenger visits, signalling key hubs for targeted campaigns and regional activations.
  • Seasonality (peaking Nov–Apr) and growing regional demand present clear windows for campaign timing, while emerging destinations still offer white space for brands to capture future growth.
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Travel and Tourism fastest-growing sector globally
Travel by numbers

Travel and Tourism fastest-growing sector globally

  • Travel & tourism was the fastest-growing global sector in 2025, expanding 4.1%—almost 50% faster than the overall economy (2.8%) and reinforcing its role as a key growth engine.
  • The sector hit a record US$11.6 trillion contribution to global GDP (9.8%), marking its strongest year ever and signalling full recovery plus accelerated growth beyond pre-pandemic levels.
  • Employment impact is massive: 366 million jobs globally (10.9% of total), with travel responsible for 1 in 3 new jobs created—a major lever for economic and workforce expansion.
  • Asia-Pacific is leading the charge (8.1% growth), fuelled by reopening and demand, while North America lags at just 1%, highlighting how policy and connectivity shape regional performance.
  • Consumer behaviour is shifting, with travellers prioritising meaningful, intentional experiences, signalling opportunities for brands to differentiate through experience-led marketing and personalisation.
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Google tests new swipeable location carousel in Search ads
Platforms in travel

Google tests new swipeable location carousel in Search ads

  • Google is testing a new swipeable location carousel in Search ads, letting users browse multiple business locations directly inside the ad unit rather than seeing separate stacked listings.
  • The format surfaces key local info like ratings and distance/proximity, which could make location-based ads more interactive and help users compare nearby options faster without leaving the results page.
  • For multi-location brands, this could mean more visibility within a single ad and a stronger shot at capturing high-intent local demand.
  • For now, the big thing for marketers to watch is whether Google rolls it out more broadly and what it does to CTR and local ad performance.
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Almosafer and Thomas Cook launch apps in ChatGPT
AI in travel Platforms in travel

Almosafer and Thomas Cook launch apps in ChatGPT

  • Almosafer has launched a ChatGPT app, giving users conversational access to over 1.5 million hotels, with itinerary building and personalised recommendations in both Arabic and English.
  • The move reflects a broader shift: major travel brands (Expedia, Booking.com, Skyscanner, etc.) are embedding directly into ChatGPT to meet users where discovery is increasingly happening.
  • Thomas Cook’s new AI-powered search goes further, turning ChatGPT into a booking interface with real-time pricing, rich visuals, and direct purchase links—cutting out traditional website browsing.
  • The experience is moving from static listings to dynamic, intent-based conversations, which could reshape how travel brands approach SEO, UX and conversion funnels.
  • Almosafer has been steadily embedding AI across pricing, personalisation and operations—signalling that this launch is part of a deeper, long-term AI strategy rather than a one-off feature.
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New study shows majority of travellers open to agentic AI bookings
AI in travel Travel by numbers

New study shows majority of travellers open to agentic AI bookings

  • 71% of travellers are open to agentic AI handling end-to-end trip bookings, with highest interest in hotels (66%), flights (65%), and personalised packages (61%).
  • The biggest perceived wins are finding better deals, saving time, and real-time disruption management—clear efficiency drivers for adoption.
  • Concerns around fixing AI mistakes, unclear accountability, lack of human support, and data privacy are the main friction points holding users back.
  • Millennials, business travellers, international travellers, and existing AI users show the strongest interest—suggesting complex travel needs accelerate uptake.
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Grab launches 4 new travel AI experiences in its app
AI in travel Platforms in travel

Grab launches 4 new travel AI experiences in its app

  • In Marketing We Trust client, Grab, has rolled out 13 new AI experiences at GrabX, with four aimed squarely at travel as it pushes the app to become a more end-to-end “everyday guide” for users.
  • The headline travel feature is Personalised Travel Experience, which positions Grab as an in-trip companion by combining travel info, reminders and navigation support when users arrive.
  • GrabStays marks Grab’s move into hotel booking through a partnership with Nuitée, offering same-day room rates and GrabCoin rewards to help drive bookings and loyalty.
  • On the discovery and payments side, Discovered by Grab uses user-generated food content to help travellers find places to eat, while GrabPay for Travel lets users pay overseas via QR code using cards already saved in the app.
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Apple to introduce ads in Apple Maps
Platforms in travel

Apple to introduce ads in Apple Maps

  • Apple is set to introduce ads into Apple Maps as early as June 2026, marking a major shift from its traditionally ad-free experience.
  • Ads will appear in search results, with businesses able to bid on keywords (e.g. “tacos” or “pasta”) to boost visibility—mirroring Google Maps and Apple’s own App Store ads model.
  • The move is part of Apple’s broader push to grow its high-margin Services division, which now generates over $100 billion annually and continues to expand beyond hardware.
  • For marketers, this opens up a new intent-driven, local advertising channel within Apple’s ecosystem—particularly valuable for retail, hospitality and location-based discovery.
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Helpful quotes from the experts at Phocuswright’s Travel Marketing AI Summit
AI in travel

Helpful quotes from the experts at Phocuswright’s Travel Marketing AI Summit

  • Across panels at Phocuswright’s Travel Marketing AI Summit, travel executives touched on approaches to optimising for visibility in the age of AI. 
  • Mike Coletta, senior manager of research and innovation for Phocuswright: “Just as it took years for people to figure out the discipline of SEO, the same will be true [for GEO].”
  • Rahul Todkar, vice president and head of data and AI for Tripadvisor: “Your trusted content, authenticity and trust really [are] at the forefront no matter what. That doesn't change.”
  • “Your structured content and data takes even more front-and-center stage, in my opinion, in this AI-first paradigm,”
  • C.A. Clark, vice president of AI for Miles Partnership: “You have to understand what the expectation is. First you have to deliver on it, and then you have to tell that story broadly and consistently.”
  • “When we talk about AEO or GEO … that thing everybody wants, it’s like, just tell me what to do, right? Tell me what to put on the page that will make this work And unfortunately or fortunately—depending on how you look at it—you have to go up a level and say, this is really about how people perceive what your travel brand is. The more consistent a brand’s information and messaging is, the more likely they are to surface in AI results. That’s a really difficult thing to do. It's always [been] the job of any travel brand to do that. It's just now becoming a lot more important to roll it up to that higher level, instead of trying to figure out how to game the system.”
  • Mario Gavira, CMO of Travelier: “Expertise, experience, authority and trust. Now, the expertise, I would argue, is overrated. Why? Because that has been common, advised by the LLMs in most of the cases. What still counts is experience. Experience is your first-party data.”
  • “Very concrete, unique data is what will make your brand unique and will make your brand. You have to find what is your first-party gold mine data that you can basically leverage and that will make you—in the eyes of the LLMs—unreplaceable.”
  • Janette Roush, senior vice president of innovation and chief AI officer for Brand USA: “If I'm booking a Marriott Hotel … I don't want to just ask ChatGPT, ‘Which Marriott Hotel should I book?’ I want that data feed, whether it's an API or an MCP connection. I want my Claude Code set up to talk to Marriott directly. I don't want to leave—I don't want to go to the Bonvoy app. I want that to come to me with real information, trusted information, so I can make my booking right there without leaving the platform.”
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Trip.com’s AI assistant significantly boosts sales, with 60% of TripGenie interactions tied to bookings
AI in travel Platforms in travel

Trip.com’s AI assistant significantly boosts sales, with 60% of TripGenie interactions tied to bookings

  • Trip.com’s AI assistant TripGenie has shifted from a basic helper to a full end-to-end travel companion, with nearly 60% of interactions now directly tied to bookings.
  • Usage varies heavily by region: Asian markets (e.g. Singapore, Hong Kong) lean on AI for real-time, in-trip decisions, while Western markets tend to use it more for upfront planning.
  • AI-assisted bookings have surged (up to 400% YoY), alongside sharp growth in tools like live translation and on-the-go recommendations, signalling stronger reliance during the travel experience itself.
  • The role of AI is becoming more behavioural than functional — acting as a decision-making partner throughout the journey, not just a search or booking tool.
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Tripadvisor tests AI trip planning tool to turn influencer videos into bookings
AI in travel Platforms in travel

Tripadvisor tests AI trip planning tool to turn influencer videos into bookings

  • Tripadvisor is testing an AI-powered trip planning tool that turns influencer videos into ready-to-book itineraries, bridging inspiration → planning → booking in one seamless flow.
  • The tool uses partnerships with Nvidia, Nebius and Nexla to analyse video content, match it to Tripadvisor’s data and generate highly personalised travel recommendations.
  • This move reflects a broader trend (also seen with Expedia) where social content becomes a direct conversion channel, not just top-of-funnel inspiration.
  • Tripadvisor is still in testing mode, but success will depend on how well it differentiates via proprietary data and faster user actions.
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Only 13% from a survey of 1000 travellers said they’d use AI for booking
AI in travel Travel by numbers

Only 13% from a survey of 1000 travellers said they’d use AI for booking

  • Travel demand looks solid for 2026, with IMG’s survey of 1,000+ customers showing strong appetite for both international and domestic trips.
  • AI is moving into the mainstream for travel planning, with 33% of respondents saying they’re likely to use tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or Claude to help organise trips.
  • The biggest AI use cases are still at the inspiration and planning stage: recommendations (75%), itinerary building (70%), new ideas (69%) and comparisons (55%). Only 13% say they’d use AI for booking.
  • Human support still matters, with 41% of travellers using a travel advisor or agent for at least some of their trips. That suggests travellers want a mix of digital convenience and expert reassurance.
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AI is now mainstream with the majority of US travellers using it for planning
AI in travel Travel by numbers

AI is now mainstream with the majority of US travellers using it for planning

  • AI has moved into the mainstream for U.S. travel: 56% of active travellers used AI for planning, booking or in-trip help over the past 12 months, up sharply from 43% in late 2025 and 33% in early 2025.
  • This isn’t just niche early-adopter behaviour anymore: every generation recorded double-digit growth, showing AI adoption is broadening fast across the market.
  • Half of travellers using AI in search engines are still clicking through to source websites after seeing AI-generated answers.
  • AI’s role is expected to shift from trip planning into in-destination assistance, with more travellers expecting to increase their usage again over the next year.
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Google upgrades AI shopping with cart and loyalty features
Platforms in travel

Google upgrades AI shopping with cart and loyalty features

  • Google added cart and loyalty capabilities to its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), making AI-driven shopping more complete and closer to a real checkout experience.
  • The update lets AI agents build multi-item carts, access real-time product data, and retain user loyalty benefits across platforms, removing key friction in agent-led purchases.
  • This moves AI shopping from discovery to transaction, while simplifying onboarding via Merchant Centre to accelerate retailer adoption.
  • The implication is a shift toward “agentic commerce,” where structured product data and integrations, not ads or UX, determine visibility and sales.
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