According to Bernstein analysts, a full-fledged AI-based tourism business model has not yet emerged, but the market is already shifting towards direct distribution. In this way, service providers are getting rid of intermediaries.
Hotel chains are switching to AI
Major hotel groups including Accor, Hyatt and Wyndham are expanding their presence on AI platforms such as ChatGPT. This allows them to directly engage customers and reduce the cost of commissions traditionally paid to OTAs.
According to investing.com, the technology base for this is already in place. Around 75% of hoteliers’ offers go through channel managers, which simplifies integration with AI services and opens up access to new forms of sales.
The key issue is the revenue model
So, if AI platforms retain an advertising approach, online agencies will be able to hold their ground by paying for priority placement. However, user-paid or subscription models such as Perplexity pose the risk of creating an environment with low or no commissions. This undermines the traditional role of intermediaries.
Against this backdrop, major operators including Booking Holdings and Expedia Group are banking on the trust factor. They point out that a significant portion of users are not yet ready to fully rely on AI when booking travel.
But analysts believe this factor is temporary. As AI becomes more widespread in everyday life, the level of user trust will grow. And gradually artificial intelligence is turning into a central player in the travel market.
