New Data Shows How Travelers Are Using AI to Plan and Book Trips, And It’s Not What You Think

The travel industry has spent years trading opinions about what AI will do to planning and booking. No more hypotheticals. New research by TakeUp, The Rise of AI Planned Travel in 2026, based on a survey of 300 US leisure travelers, shows the shift ...

Bobby Marhamat

CEO at TakeUp

TakeUp

More in this category

Sales & Marketing

More in this category

Search Marketing

More in this category

Chatbots, Robotics & AI

More like this

Opinion

Optimise Your Hotel Website in 8 Easy Steps - FREE Checklist

As a hotelier, you know that first impressions matter. And in 2026, your website is your virtual front desk. But is it doing enough to convert visitors into paying guests? If your website isn’t optimised for speed, ease of use, and direct bookings, ...

Savina Karaivanova

Marketing & Product Strategist

Userguest

More in this category

Sales & Marketing

More in this category

Search Marketing

More in this category

Digital Marketing

More like this

Opinion

Is your hotel visible in ChatGPT search? A quick guide to help you compete with OTAs for AI planned trips

For over two decades, the battleground for hotel bookings has been defined by a struggle for control, with hotels on one side and Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) on the other.

Jonathan Gough

Content Team Lead at Lighthouse

Lighthouse

More in this category

Sales & Marketing

More in this category

Search Marketing

More in this category

Chatbots, Robotics & AI

More like this

Opinion

How AI-Driven Search, Connected Media, and Real-Time Intelligence Will Drive Direct Bookings in 2026

The hospitality customer journey has become more fragmented and compressed than ever before. Travelers now move fluidly between search engines, AI-powered answers, metasearch platforms, social channels, video, and review sites before making a bookin...

Dhannesh Balaji

Solutions Architect

Milestone Inc.

More in this category

Search Marketing

More in this category

Digital Marketing

More in this category

Advertising

More like this

Opinion

The 2026 Hotel Marketing Playbook: Trust-led Multichannel Growth (TMG)

In 2026, here’s the ultimate digital marketing playbook that I think hotels should adopt: The Trust-led Multichannel Growth (TMG) approach.

Chris Zhao

Senior Product Manager - SEM/SEO

Travel Media Group

More in this category

Sales & Marketing

More in this category

Search Marketing

More in this category

Social Media

More in this category

Digital Marketing

More like this

Opinion

De-Googlize Your Company

What company doesn’t want to rank high in Google searches? When a customer is looking for whatever you sell, wouldn’t you want to be ranked at the top of the first page? Unless you’re willing to pay and advertise, you have to naturally get there, an...

Shep Hyken

Customer Service and Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker and Bestselling Author

Shepard Presentations, LLC.

More in this category

CRM & Loyalty

More in this category

Search Marketing

More like this

Opinion

How AI is Redefining Hotel Marketing and Why It’s Time to Catch Up

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from buzzword to business essential. From revenue management to guest communication, AI is already reshaping how hotels operate. But one area where its impact is truly transformative — and stil...

Savina Karaivanova

Marketing & Product Strategist

Userguest

More in this category

Search Marketing

More in this category

Digital Marketing

More in this category

Advertising

More in this category

Chatbots, Robotics & AI

More like this

Opinion

Decoding AI’s Impact on the Changing Guest Journey

The traditional guest journey, a straightforward path from dreaming and discovery to conversion and experience, is being fundamentally reshaped by AI. Large Language Models (LLMs) are creating a new, non-linear journeys by delivering multimodal, per...

Benu Aggarwal

Founder and President, Milestone Inc.

Milestone Inc.

More in this category

Search Marketing

More in this category

Digital Marketing

More in this category

Chatbots, Robotics & AI

More like this

Opinion

How Hotels Can Win in the AI-Powered Discovery Era: SEO, Reviews & Authenticity

Reviews may serve as the new “trust badge” distinguishing genuine guest experiences from SEO-driven marketing noise. AI-powered hotel discovery is reshaping the way travelers search, evaluate, and ultimately book accommodations. Due to generative AI...

Jessica Kurtz

Global Product Ambassador at Reviewpro Reputation

Shiji

More in this category

Sales & Marketing

More in this category

Reputation Management

More in this category

Search Marketing

More in this category

Chatbots, Robotics & AI

More like this

Opinion

How to Sell Hotel Group Experiences That AI Can’t Ignore

If you’re in hotel group sales, you might be asking yourself: “Why isn’t my outreach working anymore? Cold calls are ignored, email responses are dwindling, and even when planners visit our website, they don’t convert. How do we make sure AI and rea...

Susan Tucker

Partner & COO, The Lure Agency

Lure Agency

More in this category

Sales & Marketing

More in this category

Search Marketing

More in this category

Chatbots, Robotics & AI

More like this

Your content on Hospitality Net?