Travel Marketers Prepare for AI Visibility and Agentic Booking
Travel companies are preparing for a shift from traditional search to AI-powered travel discovery and booking.
Executives discussed the change at the Travel Marketing AI Summit London. They examined how travel brands can improve AI visibility in travel and prepare for agentic booking.
Agentic AI Still Emerging
Travelier CMO Mario Gavira said the travel sector remains at an early stage of agentic AI adoption.
He pointed to Cloudflare’s Agent Readiness scores as an indicator. Gavira said travel was around 20% agentic based on the measure.
Meanwhile, Skyscanner Chief AI Officer Piero Sierra said the growth of travel agents powered by AI is likely to continue.
However, he expects simple bookings to adopt the technology sooner. Complex trips may take longer because travel decisions involve personal preferences, high costs and trust.
A live audience poll highlighted the current gap. Only one delegate said they had completed an end-to-end travel booking using AI.
From SEO to GEO
Travel companies are now exploring generative engine optimisation (GEO). The approach aims to improve how AI systems discover, evaluate and mention brands.
Phocuswright research found that 40% of U.S. travellers and 28% of U.K. travellers are willing to let an AI assistant book flights and hotels.
Demand-Genius CEO Tom Rudnai said AI systems handle travel searches differently from traditional search engines.
AI can break a broad request into several smaller queries. This process, known as query fanout, helps systems explore different aspects of a traveller’s request.
As a result, travel companies cannot simply treat AI prompts like traditional search keywords.
Brand Visibility Matters
The panel also highlighted the importance of brand investment. AI systems can draw information from a company’s wider digital presence.
Gavira said travel brands need new ways to measure the impact of AI exposure. Traditional website traffic metrics may not capture the full effect.
Sierra also stressed the role of brand reputation. He described AI as a reflection of a company’s broader digital footprint.
Therefore, travel marketers are combining GEO strategies with broader brand activity. Strong content, third-party coverage and consistent digital information can all influence how AI systems understand a brand.
Opportunities for Smaller Brands
Smaller travel companies may still gain visibility through focused strategies.
Rudnai said smaller brands should identify specific customer groups and channels. They can then concentrate their marketing efforts on sources that AI systems use.
Meanwhile, the growth of agentic booking remains an evolving process. Travel companies are still working to understand how much control, tracking and customer interaction they should give AI agents.
The shift from SEO to AI visibility in travel is therefore becoming a growing focus for marketers as AI changes how travellers discover and purchase trips.
