This very timely question was asked a World Panel of hospitality revenue optimization and technology experts.

Google just introduced its UCP, which establishes a common language among the three stakeholders of Agentic AI: agents, systems/platforms and consumers. The goal of UCP is to assist consumers through product/service discovery, buying/checkout and post-purchase customer support.

UCP is compatible with existing agentic AI protocols including Anthropic's MCP, Agent2Agent and Agent Payments Protocol and working with online payment solutions such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Stripe.

UCP will support AI commerce on product listings in Google's AI Mode and on the Gemini app. At this time, UCP will enable consumers to purchase and pay for products from eligible retailers.

UCP and travel? Experts predict "huge implications" for travel and that "UCP will change the way all elements of travel are booked, from hotel rooms to flights to tours."

The question is: what and how big will Google UCP's impact will be on hotel distribution?

Here is my take:

Agentic AI is not some futuristic phenomenon, it's already here. 15% of travel discovery is already done on LLM platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, etc., a growth of over 250% YoY.

Travel consumers' AI agents will use agentic platforms like ChatGPT (64.5% of LLM platform traffic in 1/2026)) or Google's Gemini (21.5%) etc. but what are they going to find there?

In Google's own words: To make agentic AI a reality, Google is working on building out the experience with industry partners such as Booking..com, Expedia, Marriott International, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

How are the LLM platforms going to make money? By charging affiliate fees! ChatGPT charges a 4% fee from Shopify sellers on "agentic" sales. The OTAs already have robust affiliate programs, so do some of the major hotel chains.

Independent hotels? The only option is for CRS, Channel Managers and cloud PMS vendors to plug directly into Google's UCP or to AI platforms like ChatGPT via MCP or A2A, allowing travelers to search and book rooms. Similar to how these vendors currently handle metasearch, they will charge the hotel a fee, which they can share with the AI platforms.

Max Starkov
Hospitality & Online Travel Tech Consultant & Strategist

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