hoteltech.news July 29, 2026
Artificial IntelligencePublished July 23, 20261 min read

AI becomes mainstream travel planning tool for 37% of US travelers

JSBy Joan SanzCurated by Joan Sanz. · July 23, 2026 · Follow on LinkedIn
Voice reading · ~1 min

The numbers are in, and they’re clear: 37% of US travelers now use artificial intelligence to plan their trips, according to a recent survey by Allianz Partners. That’s more than a third of your potential guests. And they don’t just dabble in it, they expect fast, intuitive, and mobile-first interactions throughout the entire trip.

What does that mean for hoteliers? If your booking engineBooking engineA booking engine is the tool that lets guests book directly on the hotel's own website. It shows availability, prices and takes the payment with no middleman. It is the key piece for winning direct bookings and saving..., your PMSPMSThe property management system is a hotel's core software. It handles reservations, check-in and check-out, room assignment, billing and the status of every stay. It is the operational heart that most other tools plug..., your guest app aren’t feeding into that AI loop, you’re invisible to a chunk of the market. Travelers are asking ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or specialized travel AI for recommendations, itineraries, and even direct bookingDirect bookingA direct booking is one the guest makes through the hotel's own channels, with no middleman. It saves the OTA commission and gives the hotel the guest data to build loyalty. Winning direct is one of the industry's big... links. The hotel that surfaces first in those answers wins.

My take: this is a push to get your direct channel AI-ready. Structured data, real-time availability, and strong content that an AI can parse. The old SEO game is evolving. The hotel that shows up in an AI’s plan doesn’t need to fight as hard with OTAsOTAAn online travel agency is a channel that sells accommodation and travel online in exchange for a commission. Booking.com and Expedia are the biggest. They bring volume and visibility, but charge commissions that eat... for visibility. And that, for me, is a net positive. Smart hoteliers will invest in making their property machine-readable.

Quick questions

What percentage of travelers use AI to plan trips?
37% of US travelers use AI to plan their trips, according to a 2024 Allianz Partners survey.
Which company conducted the AI travel survey?
The survey was conducted by Allianz Partners, a travel insurance and assistance company.
Why should hotels care about AI travel planning?
Because 37% of travelers already use AI, not showing up in AI responses means losing potential direct bookings.
What do AI-using travelers expect from hotels?
They expect fast, intuitive, and mobile-first interactions throughout the entire trip experience.
How can hotels prepare for AI-driven booking?
Optimize structured data, real-time rates, and content for AI crawlers so your property surfaces in AI recommendations.

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