There have been a lot of buzz lately about AI Search and the impact it already has on travel discovery, planning and bookings.

Some experts claim that AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude and Google’s Gemini threaten the aggregator-dependent business model by delivering instant details, recommendations, and bookings, bypassing sites like Expedia and Booking.

Others claim that AI platforms like ChatGPT are in dire need to monetize their traffic and that the OTAs provide a shortcut to ready-to wear affiliate commission programs plus quick access to 750,000 hotels, 2.5 million short-term rentals, 400 plus airlines, 150 car rental companies, etc.

The question is: will AI Search benefit the direct online channel or the OTAs?

IDC, the premier global market intelligence and advisory firm for the information technology industry projects 30% of all travel bookings will be executed by AI agents by 2030.

Upgrading your property’s tech stack to cloud-first and mobile-first technologies like PMS, CRS, RMS, WBE and Channel Manager has been the priority for more than a decade. What is new now is the growing need for your property to become an AI-first hotel company and to transform its tech stack into an AI-first one.

Therefore, Al should be at the center of every property’s technology decision, every process and procedure, every operational and guest experience touch point.

We all know that the OTAs are technology-first organizations. They have jumped into the opportunity to dominate this new opportunity - the AI platforms- to own the customer.

To benefit from AI search and compete with the OTAs for mentions, referrals and ultimately - direct bookings from the AI platforms, hoteliers must:

a) invest in AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) to get your property’s expertise and unique value proposition extracted in the answer boxes and AI overviews ( ex. on Google’s Gemini).

b) invest in GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) to have your property cited by name and featured in the AI trip planning recommendations (ex. on ChatGPT).

c) ask the property’s CRS, Channel Managers and cloud PMS vendors to “project” your rates into Google’s UCP and AI platforms like ChatGPT via MCP or A2A. Ex. Cendyn CRS already enables hotel rates to be visible in AI search results in partnership with DirectBooker.

In the same time, do not forget to invest in old-fashioned SEO to get your website appear high in the rankings of relevant search results on Google and other search engines. Let’s not forget: Search marketing on Google and all of its formats: Google Ads (GA), Google Hotel Ads (GHA), organic listings (SEO) consistently contributes to over 50% of hotel website bookings.

Google is not going anywhere! In Q1 2026, Google’s search revenue grew by 19% YoY.

Max Starkov
Hospitality & Online Travel Tech Consultant & Strategist

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