How Travel Brands Can Adapt to AI Disruption - Without Losing Their Edge
In my last post, I broke down four of the biggest AI-driven trends reshaping the travel landscape - and who stands to benefit (or fall behind) as these tools gain traction across booking, personalization, and pricing.
But identifying the trends is only the starting point.
If you're a tour operator, OTA, DMO, or travel tech brand, the more important question is: NOW WHAT?
Here’s how to respond strategically - before the AI shift moves even further ahead without you.
1. Rebuild Your Visibility Strategy for AI-First Search
AI-powered search is no longer theoretical. In July 2025, Google launched “AI Mode” in the UK, offering users conversational, multimodal search powered by Gemini 2.5. Early data shows sessions are 38% longer, often keeping users inside the AI flow without ever clicking through to a website.
Meanwhile, AI Overviews are replacing traditional blue links. This means that if your content isn’t structured for AI readability, you may not appear at all.
What to Do:
Add schema markup to your pages (FAQs, how-tos, reviews, location data).
Optimize for natural language queries that match how travelers ask questions.
Use tables, bullets, and structured layouts that AI tools can pull from.
According to The Guardian, some publishers have seen up to 80% drops in traffic from Google since AI Overviews began.
2. Focus on What AI Can’t Replace: Human, Local, and Experiential
AI can recommend flights and hotels, but it still can’t replicate your boots-on-the-ground knowledge or the emotional resonance of a real human story.
This is your edge.
What to Do:
Create content that speaks from firsthand experience.
Elevate guides, behind-the-scenes videos, or interviews with locals.
Lean into your brand voice and make it warm, not robotic.
Travelers still crave connection. Help them truly feel something, not just find something.
3. Start Experimenting with Conversational Interfaces
With tools like Booking.com’s AI Trip Planner and Google's AI Mode dominating discovery, travelers are getting used to chat-first planning. If your site still relies on clunky menus or static booking forms, it’s time to evolve.
What to Do:
Test a simple AI chat widget that handles FAQs or route suggestions.
Build a “Help Me Plan” form using conversational UX (with tone to match).
Train your team to respond in chat-style formats (email, SMS, messenger).
Expedia, for example, is adapting by turning visual social content into AI-driven itineraries, combining image recognition with smart recommendations.
4. Use AI to Lighten Your Load - Not to Replace Your Team
AI doesn’t mean you need fewer people. It means you can empower your existing team to do more of what matters, and less of what doesn’t.
What to Do:
Use GenAI to draft routine content (trip summaries, welcome emails).
Automate tasks like itinerary generation, payment reminders, or follow-ups.
Train your team to become prompt writers, not just task handlers.
One German tourism board is now using AI to help visitors generate 10-day custom trips from one input (and is seeing increased engagement as a result).
5. Rethink Your Metrics for an AI-Influenced Funnel
Your traffic and click-through numbers may drop - but that doesn’t mean you’re not being seen. In an AI-powered world, visibility happens earlier (and often higher up the funnel).
What to Do:
Track brand mentions in AI snippets and voice queries.
Shift reporting toward qualified leads and micro-conversions (trip planner starts, AI chats initiated).
Monitor zero-click performance - and build lead capture into high-intent content.
Data from AppsFlyer shows 75% of travel app conversions now come from retargeting and AI-personalized journeys - this is important seeing as this is NOT first-time traffic
Final Thoughts: The AI Shift in Travel Is Happening With or Without You
This isn’t just about keeping up with tech. It’s about meeting travelers where they are, and where they’re going next.
You don’t need to be an AI company. But you do need to be a travel brand that understands how AI is changing discovery, decision-making, and loyalty.
Whether you’re optimizing your visibility, upgrading your booking experience, or simply making your content more useful and human - all of these are the right steps.
