Artificial intelligence is emerging as a new starting point for holiday research, potentially changing how travellers discover destinations and suppliers and creating a fresh visibility challenge for travel businesses.
As AI tools bring search, recommendations and itinerary planning into a conversational format, East Coast Car Rentals CMO Ben Whitmore says the technology could increasingly influence which travel brands consumers consider and ultimately book.
AI changes the travel discovery journey
Traditional online holiday planning often involves moving between search engines, review platforms, maps and individual supplier websites. Generative AI can consolidate much of that process, allowing travellers to ask for destination ideas, itineraries and recommendations through a single interface.
“For years, planning a holiday meant jumping between search engines, review sites and maps. AI is bringing all of that into one conversation,” Whitmore said.
“The opportunity isn’t just making travel planning faster, it’s making it smarter.”
The shift has implications across the travel sector. If consumers increasingly rely on AI-generated answers rather than scrolling through conventional search results, hotels, attractions, tour operators, transport providers and other suppliers may need to rethink how their products and information are discovered online.
Travel brands face a new visibility challenge
Whitmore said businesses would need to ensure the information available about their products was accurate, useful and accessible as AI takes a greater role in travel discovery.
“For businesses, the challenge will be ensuring they’re visible and providing trustworthy, high-quality information, because in an AI-first world, consumers won’t just search for brands, they’ll ask AI who they should choose,” he said.
That raises a new commercial consideration for the travel trade: how brands position themselves when an AI platform may effectively sit between the traveller and the supplier during the research process.
It could also alter the traditional path to purchase, with consumers potentially moving from broad inspiration to specific recommendations more quickly.
Human judgement still matters
AI-generated itineraries and recommendations can simplify research, but travellers still need to verify important information rather than treating an AI response as an authoritative source.
Official government sources should remain the reference point for matters such as destination safety advice and entry requirements, particularly because conditions and regulations can change.
For travel advisors, the development may therefore be less about competing with AI than demonstrating the value of expertise, verification and personalised service. While technology can rapidly assemble options, experienced advisors can assess suitability, navigate complexity and provide human support when plans change.
As AI becomes more embedded in holiday research, its impact is likely to extend beyond how travellers plan trips to how travel companies market themselves, manage their digital information and compete for consideration.
