Travel industry: How is AI search changing trip planning? Our bookings from AI referrals are growing fast

Marco, we’re seeing the same trend in hotels. AI trip planning is becoming a major discovery channel.

What we’ve learned:

Sources AI cites for travel:

Content that drives hotel AI visibility:

1. “Best hotels in [destination] for [traveler type]” - We create content for every segment
2. Location-specific content - “Walking distance from [landmark]”
3. Practical information - What’s included, transportation, tips
4. Comparison content - How we compare to alternatives
5. Seasonal content - “Best time to visit [destination]”

The review factor: TripAdvisor reviews are HEAVILY cited. Recent, detailed reviews mentioning specific experiences get quoted by AI. We’ve focused review collection on getting detailed, descriptive reviews.

Destination perspective - AI is changing how travelers discover places.

What we’re seeing at destination level:

Travelers ask AI:

• “Where should I go in [season]?”
• “Best [country] itinerary for [duration]?”
• “Underrated destinations in [region]?”

What gets destinations recommended:

1. Comprehensive destination content - AI needs detailed info to recommend confidently
2. Practical travel information - Visa, safety, best times, costs
3. Unique selling points - What makes this destination different
4. Traveler testimonials - Real experiences, not marketing claims

For DMOs (Destination Marketing Organizations):

Create content that helps trip planning:

• “[Duration] itinerary for [destination]”
• “Best time to visit [destination]”
• “[Destination] vs. [alternative destination]”
• “What to know before visiting [destination]”

AI recommends destinations it can provide helpful information about.

Travel blogger with 200k monthly readers. My content gets cited by AI constantly.

Why travel blogs get AI citations:

1. Real experiences - First-person, detailed accounts
2. Practical advice - What we actually did, not marketing fluff
3. Specific recommendations - “Stay at this hotel, eat at this restaurant”
4. Honest opinions - Including negatives
5. Updated content - Travel info changes, I keep posts current

What travel companies can learn:

Your content should read like helpful blog content, not sales copy.

“Our luxury resort offers unparalleled amenities” = ignored by AI “Here’s exactly what to expect at our resort, including what surprised guests” = cited by AI

For partnerships: I work with travel companies who let me write honestly. Those partnerships generate AI citations because the content is authentic.

I help travel businesses optimize TripAdvisor. It’s crucial for AI visibility.

Why TripAdvisor matters for AI:

AI systems cite TripAdvisor extensively. When recommending hotels, restaurants, or activities, TA is often the primary source.

TripAdvisor optimization for AI:

1. Profile completeness - Every field filled, every photo added
2. Review volume AND recency - Fresh reviews signal active business
3. Review content - Detailed reviews mentioning experiences get cited
4. Management responses - Shows engagement, activity
5. Ranking signals - Traveler’s Choice, rankings matter

Review collection strategy:

Ask guests to mention:

• Specific experiences they had
• Who they traveled with
• What made it memorable
• Practical details (room type, meal highlights)

Generic “Great hotel!” reviews don’t help AI. Detailed “The rooftop restaurant overlooking the harbor was perfect for our anniversary dinner” reviews get quoted.

Small tour operator here. We’ve cracked AI visibility despite competing with giants.

Our approach:

Niche focus: We’re not “adventure travel.” We’re “multi-sport adventure tours in the Balkans.”

When someone asks AI about “adventure tours Balkans” or “Montenegro adventure vacation,” we appear. When they ask about “adventure travel Europe,” we don’t. That’s fine.

Content that works for us:

1. Detailed itineraries - Day-by-day, specific activities
2. Practical trip information - Difficulty levels, what to pack, fitness required
3. Destination expertise - Deep content about our operating areas
4. Real traveler stories - Video testimonials, detailed reviews
5. Comparison content - Our tours vs. alternatives

Key insight: AI gives specific recommendations for specific queries. The more specific your offering, the more likely you appear for matching queries.

Online travel agency perspective on AI and bookings:

How OTAs think about AI:

The big OTAs (Booking, Expedia) are building AI into their platforms. But independent travelers are using ChatGPT first, then booking on OTAs.

The discovery → booking flow:

1. Traveler asks ChatGPT for recommendations
2. AI cites sources (TripAdvisor, blogs, destination content)
3. Traveler researches recommended options
4. Traveler books on OTA or direct

Implication for travel companies:

Even if booking happens on Booking.com, discovery increasingly happens on AI. Your AI visibility determines whether you’re in the consideration set.

What we’re tracking:

• Which properties appear in AI recommendations
• Correlation between AI mentions and search volume on OTAs
• Impact on conversion when AI-recommended

AI is becoming the new top-of-funnel for travel.

Luxury travel perspective - different dynamics.

AI for high-end travel:

Luxury travelers use AI for planning but are skeptical of recommendations. They want:

• Insider knowledge
• Exclusive experiences
• Personalized advice

What works for luxury:

1. Expert positioning - Content that shows deep knowledge
2. Unique access - What can you offer that others can’t?
3. Discretion - Not everything online, but enough to intrigue
4. Third-party validation - Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure citations
5. Concierge content - “How we create bespoke experiences”

The balance: Enough content to appear in AI, but maintaining exclusivity positioning. We create helpful destination content while keeping specific offerings more private.

For luxury: AI visibility is about being known as an expert, not listing your inventory.

This thread confirms what I suspected - AI is becoming a major discovery channel for travel.

Key insights:

1. TripAdvisor is crucial - AI cites it heavily, need to optimize
2. Segmented content wins - “Tours for [traveler type]” not generic “tours”
3. Specific beats generic - Niche focus is an advantage, not limitation
4. Authentic content gets cited - Blog-style, helpful content over marketing copy
5. Detailed itineraries matter - Day-by-day content is highly citable

Our action plan:

Month 1:

• TripAdvisor profile optimization
• Review collection campaign (ask for detailed reviews)
• Create traveler segment landing pages

Month 2-3:

• Detailed itinerary content for each tour
• Destination guides for our operating areas
• “Best time to visit” and practical content

Month 4-6:

• Comparison content (our tours vs. alternatives)
• Traveler story content (video and written)
• Blogger partnerships for authentic content

Measurement: Track AI visibility with Am I Cited. Monitor which tour types and destinations get mentioned.

The 3x conversion rate from AI referrals makes this investment worthwhile. Thanks everyone for the travel-specific insights.