Travel

From search results to trip planning: How AI is reshaping hospitality discovery

By Erica Garman for Intero Digital Stacker

Updated May 4, 2026 10:42 AM

Not long ago, planning a vacation followed a predictable sequence: Open a search engine, type in "hotels in Charleston" or "best resorts in Cabo," and sift through dozens of results, review aggregators, and booking sites until something clicked. The research was exhausting, and according to OAG's "Travel 2045" report, it has become staggeringly so: In 2024, travelers visited an average of 141 webpages before completing a booking, up from 38 in 2013. In the U.S., that number spiked to 277 pages per trip.

That burden is now being rapidly outsourced to AI, and the numbers confirm just how fast. Traffic to U.S. travel, leisure, and hospitality websites from generative AI sources increased by 1,700% between July 2024 and February 2025. And on the consumer side, nearly one-third of U.S. travelers use AI tools to plan or experience trips.

Intero Digital breaks down what this means for hotels, resorts, vacation rentals, and destination marketers.

Is AI Really Changing How Travelers Search for Hotels?

Traditional travel search was built on keywords. A traveler's intent got compressed into a short phrase, and search engines returned a ranked list of links. Discovery was linear: search → click → read → compare → book. Travel brands competed for a position in that list by optimizing title tags and bidding on Google Ads.

That model is starting to lose ground. Search engines, once dominant, dropped from 51% of travel research behavior in late 2024 to 36% by the second half of 2025, while generative AI platforms increased from 6% to 15% of traveler research activity in the same period.

What's replacing keyword search is conversational exploration. Travelers are increasingly turning to ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and other assistants to have a back-and-forth dialogue about where they want to go, what kind of experience they want, and what fits their budget and timeline. Instead of 10 blue links, they get a curated synthesis. Instead of scanning review snippets, they receive tailored recommendations with contextual rationale. For frequent AI users (those using generative AI tools at least weekly), generative AI has already become the top channel for travel discovery, surpassing both online travel agencies (OTAs) and social media. So if you're lacking AI search visibility, you're missing out.

How Does AI Interpret What Travelers Actually Want?

AI search tools are remarkably good at interpreting nuanced, natural-language queries. When a traveler types, "Romantic weekend getaway within three hours of Atlanta that isn't too touristy," an AI assistant goes beyond matching keywords to infer the full intent: proximity, atmosphere, authenticity, and occasion.

This means long-tail intent is now discoverable in ways it never was through traditional SEO. A boutique inn that might never rank on Page 1 for "Georgia hotels" might be perfectly positioned to appear in an AI response for "cozy mountain cabin retreats in North Georgia under $300."

The data backs up just how richly travelers are using AI across the planning journey. Among travelers who have used AI for trip planning, the top use cases include researching specific destinations (60%), finding and booking flights (51%), booking hotels or vacation rentals (46%), getting initial destination ideas and inspiration (46%), and discovering local experiences and activities (42%). This isn't single-task behavior; it's end-to-end trip building conducted through conversation.

Are AI-Referred Visitors More Valuable Than Traditional Search Traffic?

Here's what makes the AI shift particularly important for hospitality marketers: The travelers arriving from AI sources aren't casual browsers. Consumers who arrive at travel sites from generative AI sources show 36% longer visits, 7% more pages per visit, and a 44% lower bounce rate compared to non-AI traffic sources.

These are high-intent visitors who have already done significant research before ever clicking through to a property website. The implication is significant: When AI sends a traveler to your site, they often already have a favorable impression, and the job shifts from capturing attention to converting intent.

That said, the conversion picture is still evolving. In February 2025, traffic from generative AI sources was 9% less likely to convert than non-AI sources, though that gap has narrowed considerably from 43% in July 2024, suggesting travelers are becoming more comfortable completing bookings directly after an AI-powered interaction.

What Is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and Why Does It Matter for Hotels?

The hospitality marketing community is grappling with a concept that is quickly moving from buzzword to strategic necessity: generative engine optimization, or GEO. Unlike traditional SEO, which emphasizes ranking in a list of links, GEO is about being included (and described favorably) in AI-generated responses.

For travel brands, this is harder than it sounds. Inventory is scattered across OTAs, brand sites, and metasearch platforms. Structured product feeds for hotels, flights, and experiences are rare. And unlike retail, there's no standard "book now" schema for travel, meaning AI can struggle to surface offers as easily as it does for categories like electronics or apparel.

That challenge makes an intentional GEO strategy all the more important. For hospitality brands, this requires some specific approaches:

Structured, AI-Readable Content

AI models draw heavily on well-organized, factual content. Properties need to ensure their websites, press materials, and listing descriptions use clear, precise language that communicates specific attributes. Think amenities lists with detailed descriptions, location context (distance to airport, proximity to attractions, etc.), target traveler profiles, and unique selling propositions that go beyond generic language like "luxurious accommodations." Brands that publish content in conversational, question-driven formats, anticipating and answering the questions travelers ask AI assistants, will be the ones that connect the most meaningfully with this audience.

Authority Signals Across the Web

When AI models generate responses about a destination or property type, they rely on sources they perceive as authoritative: established travel publications, reputable review aggregators, local tourism board content, and brand-owned content with strong engagement signals. Being mentioned in authoritative travel content, such as Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, or regional travel blogs with high domain authority, increases the likelihood of appearing in AI-generated recommendations. For smaller and independent properties, this reinforces the value of a robust earned media strategy, not just paid distribution.

Local SEO as a Foundation

AI assistants anchor travel recommendations in local context. A traveler asking, "Where should I stay in Savannah?" receives recommendations informed by location data, proximity to landmarks, and local reviews. A well-optimized local presence, including accurate business information, a rich Google Business Profile, local citations, and geospecific content on the property website, feeds directly into how AI interprets and surfaces a property.

Will AI Disrupt the Relationship Between Hotels and OTAs?

For years, online travel agencies held significant leverage over hospitality brands. They owned the discovery layer, charged hefty commissions, and conditioned travelers to start their search on aggregator platforms. AI may fundamentally alter this dynamic.

The debate is already live: Will autonomous AI agents favor OTAs or suppliers? On one side, OTAs have decades of distribution know-how and data pipelines that AI agents can easily tap. On the other, AI agents can crawl or call suppliers directly and bypass intermediaries entirely, particularly for simpler trips.

When a traveler gets a tailored hotel recommendation from an AI assistant and clicks directly to book, the OTA layer is bypassed altogether. Properties with strong direct booking infrastructure (mobile-optimized websites, fast-loading pages, clear rate parity, easy reservation flows, and compelling direct booking incentives) are better positioned to capture this AI-referred traffic.

That said, OTA presence remains important for AI discoverability in the near term because these platforms are heavily indexed and often cited by AI tools as authoritative sources. The smart strategy isn't abandoning OTAs; it's building a robust parallel presence that allows direct capture when AI delivers the traveler to your door.

What Should Hotels Do Right Now to Stay Visible in AI Search?

The shift to AI-mediated discovery is not a future state. It's happening now. Here's where to focus your efforts:

1. Prioritize Descriptive Specificity Over Generic Language.

Audit every listing description, website page, and press release for vague superlatives. For example, you could replace "stunning ocean views" with "panoramic Pacific views from all ocean-facing rooms above the fourth floor." Specific attributes are what AI tools surface when travelers ask nuanced questions.

2. Build a Proactive Reputation Management Practice.

AI doesn't just index reviews; it synthesizes them into a characterization of your property. That narrative should be actively managed: responding to reviews, generating consistent positive guest experiences, and monitoring the themes that emerge across platforms.

3. Invest in Content that Answers Travelers' Questions.

Create content, such as blog posts, destination guides, FAQs, and experience-focused content, that addresses the actual questions travelers ask AI assistants, such as "Is this resort good for a honeymoon?" "What's the best time of year to visit?" and "Is this hotel family-friendly for toddlers?" Content like this increases the surface area of your brand's AI discoverability.

4. Think Beyond Your Property Page.

AI draws from news articles, travel blogs, social media sentiment, and local data sources, not just your website. A comprehensive digital PR and local SEO strategy is now inseparable from your AI discoverability strategy.

Which Hospitality Brands Will Win in an AI-First Discovery Era?

The hospitality industry has always rewarded differentiation. The most successful properties have always been those that could articulate, clearly and compellingly, what makes the experience they offer irreplaceable. AI doesn't change this fundamental truth. It amplifies it.

In an AI-mediated discovery environment, clarity of positioning is a competitive advantage. The boutique hotel that knows exactly who it serves and communicates that consistently across every digital touchpoint will be surfaced more reliably by AI tools than a larger property with a more generic presence. The resort that has built genuine authority in travel media, earned authentic rave reviews, and structured its digital content with precision will see its story reflected faithfully in AI-generated recommendations.

Travelers are already searching differently. The question for every hospitality marketer is whether their brand is visible in the places those travelers are now looking and whether the story being told about their property, by AI or otherwise, is how they want to be seen by the world.

This story was produced by Intero Digital and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 6:30 AM.