“As travelers increasingly shift from traditional search to AI-powered, conversational discovery, hotels must ensure their systems are structured to be visible and bookable within those environments,” ... “Emerging AI-driven distribution models have the potential to help hotels connect with guests earlier in their decision-making process and convert that demand directly.”
Specific to the thrust of Max's question, in this context we are referring to search/find from the booking/transaction perspective. In that light...For me it is the next generation of search.Depending upon the user, we can now be far more specific with the input to get more targeted output.We will be able to speak and converse, which is more natural and a next gen over multiple queries or filters.I do believe that when the buying time comes after the research phase the customer will still 'come' to the point of booking.
The waterfront-focused platform doubled its inventory to 75,000 properties in 90 days by positioning itself for AI-driven travel search and charging no guest booking fees. ... The platform structures its listings, destination content, and search experience to directly answer the kinds of questions travelers are now asking AI systems, making it increasingly visible in AI-generated
AI-driven discovery is already reshaping how travelers evaluate options. ... As AI systems take a more active role in travel discovery, the criteria for inclusion become more precise.
Generative AI is extraordinarily powerful at reorganizing discovery, but booking remains a much denser object, because in travel, the transaction is never merely transactional. ... I teach students in their twenties for several weeks each year, and most of them have no idea what an AI agent is.
One of the most reliable levers for revenue growth sits early in the guest journey – in how a hotel engages people who have expressed interest but haven’t booked. ... What are the core components of an effective CRM lead nurturing strategy in hospitality?
Three in four travelers globally factor extreme weather risk into both destination selection (74%) and travel timing (74%). ... One in four have already experienced extreme weather or a natural disaster while traveling in the past 12 months.
These partnerships also help us understand how travel behavior is evolving in AI environments: What types of questions travelers ask Which recommendations they trust And how AI can help turn inspiration ... Travel Planning with Alexa+ AI assistants are one place travelers are beginning to plan with AI.
They represent an integrated approach to hospitality, where innovation, efficiency, and social impact come together to redefine what responsible travel can achieve in the all-inclusive segment Jordi Pelfort ... By simply checking in, guests are already joining Royalton Hotels & Resorts’ responsible travel movement, making their stay part of a collective effort to care for the environment and local communities
In markets like Saudi Arabia, that figure already sits at 76% — and it's climbing. These aren't leisure travellers browsing in their spare time. ... They're investing in the one thing AI can't replicate: the moment of human contact.
A single card which served as an ID card, travel pass and access key all-in-one. ... In fact, we see that a new wave of AI innovation is leading hospitality to the era of multimodal AI and AI agents , enabling smarter guest interactions and optimizing operations.
These statistics point to the need for hoteliers to adopt the “Hospitality Engineer” mindset, now crucial in today’s increasingly challenging and competitive travel marketplace. ... “That is where the ‘Hospitality Engineer’ mindset comes in.
The goal is for its AI concierge Cubby, which has handled more than 900,000 guest enquiries since 2023, to evolve from travel companion to personal travel agent, comparing options, planning itineraries ... CEO Chris Hartley noted some softening in Middle East travel patterns in March, in line with broader regional dynamics, but said the globally diversified footprint provides resilience. onefinestay is concentrating
TikTok wants to cash in, and it is partnering with OTAs to quickly capitalize on this. ... AI generally prioritizes primary, structured, and authoritative travel data sources (hotel websites), which allows it to make more reliable recommendations than citing a downstream POI or social media
Revenue data in the PMS. Marketing data in the ad platforms. Guest data in the CRM. Channel data somewhere else entirely. ... AI skills will be table stakes for knowledge work in two to three years.
Alexandria, VA – Today the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) announced the launch of its next era in connection and education for its members: GBTA Community+ , a refreshed global digital platform ... Launching alongside Community+, GBTA Learning introduces a modernized approach to professional development in the business travel industry.
Instead of waiting to see how agentic AI plays out in travel, we are building the infrastructure to shape how it does. ... Together, the companies will design the foundational architecture required for a next-generation AI-enabled travel ecosystem, with responsible AI practices and data privacy built in by design.
, shows a sharp deterioration in business travel sentiment since the start of the year. ... Geopolitical instability is the dominant factor, cited by 79% of all respondents as a top travel-related risk, rising to 92% in Europe versus 72% in North America.
In parallel, the travel manager role is increasingly strategic, including leveraging AI as a key enabler of smarter decisions and stronger organizational impact. ... More than two in five buyers (41%) say their organization is proactively implementing AI use cases while another 28% are leveraging AI embedded in existing travel tools.
AI is the next seismic shift affecting all stages of the hotel customer journey. 39% of active U.S. travelers are already using AI for travel, while the use of traditional search engines has plummeted ... The more pressing question for hoteliers is how to ensure visibility on AI platforms to capture the growing segment of AI-native travelers.