Model Context Protocol is becoming a prerequisite for AI travel distribution. In the agent era, not being machine-readable will be the fastest way to become invisible.

Alors que les modèles de langage atteignent un plateau de performance, l’écosystème de l’IA générative entre dans une nouvelle phase où startups et géants technologiques réorientent leurs investissements vers des territoires encore peu explorés : modèles de monde, agents intelligents, objets connectés, superintelligence… Cette recomposition du marché, marquée par la consolidation d’un oligopole et l’émergence de nouveaux usages, dessine les contours d’une transformation qui ne fait que commencer, et creuse l’écart entre ceux qui observent et ceux qui s’inscrivent dans une dynamique d’exploration / adoption.

Le marché des chatbots IA connaît un bouleversement significatif. Selon le Global AI Tracker de Similarweb publié début janvier 2026, ChatGPT voit sa domination s’éroder progressivement au profit de Gemini. Une redistribution des cartes qui témoigne d’une concurrence de plus en plus intense dans le secteur de l’IA générative, mais aussi des progrès de Google face à OpenAI.

This article explores why market forces make full Business Model Transformation unlikely, even though the technology exists and the benefits are obvious. Understanding why transformation probably will not happen through natural market evolution helps in making better strategic decisions about where to invest, what to build and which future to prepare for.

Katastro­phen wie in Crans-Montana stellen Hotels und Destina­tionen vor existen­ti­elle Fragen. Krisen­ma­na­gerin Bettina Zimmermann erklärt, warum Vorberei­tung zentral ist, was Betriebe sofort tun müssen und weshalb Kommuni­ka­tion allein nicht reicht.

“Artificial intelligence is the enemy of travel. Discuss.” This was the provocative title of a conference session at the recent World Travel Market (WTM) event in London. The session was a lightning debate moderated by Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, principal of travel and aviation consultancy T2Impact, with three people arguing for and against. AI is still clearly what people want to hear about at industry events; the session was one of the best attended at WTM 2025, with standing room only.

"Mobilität als touristisches Schlüssel-Handlungsfeld Der Tourismus steht beim Thema Mobilität unter Druck: Rund 60-80 % seiner Emissionen entstehen durch Verkehr – An- und Abreise machen den Löwenanteil aus. In Österreich reisen noch immer 78 % der Gäste mit dem Auto an – und dieser Pkw-Individualverkehr hat negative Auswirkungen auf die Tourismusakzeptanz. Auf der anderen Seite sind bereits knapp 50% der Wiener und Berliner Haushalte autofrei. Gleichzeitig investieren laut dem aktuellen Trendreport von "Point&" nur 5 % der europäischen Mobilitätsinnovationen in touristische Anwendungen."

"What follows are the 25 trends that emerged most clearly from that year-long chronicle. Some are technology-driven, others regulatory, several geographic, a few behavioural. We’ve grouped them where it made sense, explained why each matters for 2026, and tried to avoid the temptation to oversell their importance. They matter because they’re already happening, not because we think they’re revolutionary."

"Whitesky distills 25 distribution trends that have consistently emerged over the past year and are already shaping hotel performance heading into 2026. Rather than predictions, these trends reflect concrete shifts in technology adoption, channel power, pricing governance, and guest discovery behavior. For hoteliers, the message is clear: distribution is becoming more automated, more regulated, and more dependent on high-quality centralized data. Hotels that modernize their infrastructure and metrics will gain flexibility, while those relying on legacy setups risk losing visibility and control. Key takeaways AI moves from tool to infrastructure: AI is no longer an add-on for marketing or revenue tasks; it is becoming embedded in how availability, pricing, and booking decisions are executed across channels. Search no longer starts with Google alone: AI-driven discovery and generative search are reducing traditional SEO traffic, forcing hotels to adapt content and data strategies beyond classic keyword optimization."

Floor Bleeker and Henri Roelings asked 27 leading hotel technology suppliers a simple question: Which process or function will your AI solutions disrupt most in 2026, and how will this redefine value for hotels? (click here to check out this World Panel Viewpoint on HN). Their answers reveal something striking. The industry isn't debating whether AI will transform hospitality. It's already building the infrastructure that will define how hotels operate for the next decade.

Insights from 27 leading hotel technology providers show that AI’s impact in 2026 will be fundamentally operational rather than experimental. The consensus is that AI transformation has moved beyond pilots and proofs of concept, as hotels actively invest in the infrastructure that will shape performance for years to come. The most meaningful changes focus on unifying fragmented systems, automating labor-intensive workflows, and enabling predictive, increasingly autonomous decision-making across revenue, operations, and guest engagement. Together, these shifts are creating a widening gap between hotels built on modern, AI-ready platforms and those held back by legacy technology. Key takeaways Operational fragmentation is collapsing: AI is unifying data across PMS, POS, labor, revenue, and guest systems, replacing siloed workflows with coordinated decision engines that improve speed, accuracy, and profitability. Manual processes are giving way to autonomy: Repetitive, staff-intensive tasks across operations, administration, and commercial workflows are increasingly handled by AI-driven automation, freeing teams for higher-value guest and strategic work.

"As 2026 unfolds, Phocuswright analysts see travel moving from AI experimentation to operational reality, with direct implications for hotels. Agentic AI, digital identity, and real-time pricing are not abstract trends but forces that will reshape how guests find, evaluate, and book hotels. At the same time, traveler expectations are shifting toward personalization, authenticity, and value optimization under economic pressure. For hoteliers, the next year will be defined by readiness: data quality, distribution strategy, and the ability to adapt to new discovery and booking paths. Key takeaways AI becomes the new booking front door: Conversational and autonomous AI tools are increasingly replacing traditional search, meaning hotels must be visible and competitive inside AI-driven discovery and booking flows. Content quality drives conversion: Hotels with clean, structured rates, availability, policies, and rich content delivered via APIs will perform better as AI agents select and recommend inventory."

Expedia is positioning itself to work with AI agents such as ChatGPT rather than trying to block them, reflecting a belief that these automated interfaces will become central to how people discover and book travel. The company sees resistance as potentially making its services invisible to future demand, so it is building backend tools and integrations that allow AI systems to access Expedia’s inventory and complete actions on users’ behalf. This strategic cooperation acknowledges risks, including shifts in revenue models and reduced brand visibility, but aims to ensure Expedia remains relevant as travel discovery becomes increasingly AI-mediated.

"With aviation still searching for real climate solutions, fewer luxury seats, fuller flights, and faster fleet upgrades have been proposed as ideas to help reduce emissions. Airlines could immediately cut carbon emissions by as much as 50% by taking just three steps: eliminating premium seating, flying newer aircraft, and maximizing seat occupancy, according to a new study that analyzed more than 27 million flights. Thinking in these terms is an important shift from reliance on sustainable aviation fuel, according to Stefan Gössling, professor of Tourism Research at Linnaeus University, who led the study.  SAF, which the aviation industry predicts could reduce emissions by up to 70%, only accounts for 0.8% of jet fuel. Projections are that there won't be enough for airlines to meet their 2050 net-zero goal."

"Expedia hasn't had this degree of mojo for many years. Can Gorin and team keep it going? Expedia Group appears to be gaining competitive momentum, with stronger room night growth and improving marketing efficiency in 2025, according to a BTIG research note published Tuesday. Based on its performance checks, BTIG expects Expedia to report fourth-quarter results showing high-single-digit room night growth, mid-single-digit growth in its consumer segment, and EBITDA margin expansion. The firm also said Expedia is getting more leverage from its marketing spend — particularly in B2C"

The travel search and booking process has seen many iterations, with the internet, mobile and voice all expected to turn the ecosystem on its head. While these technologies provided additional channels for consumers and perhaps improved the experience, chaos did not ensue. Step forward artificial intelligence (AI), which, depending on who you speak to, will either wipe out online travel agencies (OTAs) or boost their presence and power. However, analysts following the OTAs do not see AI killing OTAs or the search-based travel model.

It's true: SEO is undergoing its most significant evolution in decades. As travelers increasingly turn to artificial intelligence (AI) assistants for booking research, hospitality and hotel marketers face a critical question: How do we ensure our properties appear in AI-generated responses, not just traditional search results? Working with hotel partners across independent properties and major brand portfolios, we have a unique vantage point on how search behavior is shifting industry-wide. The data we're seeing across this diverse portfolio signals a fundamental change in how travelers discover accommodations.

SEO is undergoing a fundamental shift as travelers increasingly rely on AI assistants to research and plan hotel stays. Data from late 2024 onward shows steady growth in AI-driven traffic to hotel websites, alongside declining organic search traffic tied to zero-click search behavior. As search engines and AI tools deliver answers directly within their interfaces, fewer users click through to hotel websites. This change makes visibility inside AI-generated responses a strategic priority for hotel marketers. Key takeaways AI-driven traffic is rising: Hotel websites are seeing consistent month-over-month increases in visits originating from AI assistants, signaling a structural shift in discovery behavior.

TravelAI Solutions Inc. has built a fast-growing travel business by using AI and large-scale behavioral data to surface trips travelers may not have actively searched for. Operating hundreds of niche travel websites, the company links anonymous user signals across sites to build interest profiles and present highly targeted accommodation options. These curated recommendations are designed to convert casual browsing into bookings via major online travel platforms. Strong growth, fueled by both organic performance and acquisitions of distressed travel assets, has positioned TravelAI as a notable player in AI-driven travel marketing.

"Amazon has announced that Expedia will integrate with its next-generation AI assistant, Alexa+, when it launches in 2026. The integration will allow users to search, compare, book, and manage hotels and vacation rentals through voice-based interactions. This move signals a broader shift toward AI-powered, assistant-led travel discovery and booking. It also reflects Expedia’s accelerating investments in agentic and conversational AI partnerships across the travel ecosystem. Key takeaways Alexa+ expands into travel booking: Through the integration with Expedia, Amazon’s Alexa+ will support hotel and vacation rental discovery, comparison, booking, and management via voice and AI. Personalized recommendations at the assistant level: Alexa+ will tailor lodging results based on criteria such as price, room type, and location, shifting personalization from websites and apps to conversational interfaces."

"Gen Z is rapidly moving away from cash and physical wallets, relying instead on mobile phones and digital wallets for everyday spending. For hotels, this shift is not just about payment methods but about changing guest expectations around speed, convenience, and transparency at every touchpoint. Younger travelers perceive digital payments as safer and more intuitive, while cash increasingly feels irrelevant or even inconvenient. At the same time, new payment behaviors introduce operational risks and revenue considerations that hoteliers cannot ignore. "

S’ils répondent à une vraie tendance, les bains thermaux doivent trouver le bon modèle d’affaires, définir leur positi­on­ne­ment et soigner les collabo­ra­tions pour rester rentables face à une concurrence croissante. Prise de température en Valais.

"As accessible travel continues to grow, Camilo Navarro, co-founder and COO of Wheel the World, believes that more travelers will start conversations about accessibility with artificial intelligence (AI).  “They're going to need this type of information—accessibility data, for instance,” Navarro said during an interview in the PhocusWire studio at The Phocuswright Conference. To help users with accessibility needs, Wheel the World, a PhocusWire Hot 25 Travel Startup for 2022, is developing a conversational AI chatbot. According to Navarro, the chatbot will use proprietary data and information from customer profiles throughout conversations. He also believes other travel brands should be preparing their data and making accessibility accommodations visible for AI. “AI without data is worthless,” Navarro said."

"Das Fraunhofer-Institut für Arbeitswirtschaft und Organisation IAO hat im Rahmen seines Innovationsnetzwerks FutureHotel ein neues Weißbuch mit dem Titel Future Hotel – Future Projections for 2035 veröffentlicht. Die Autorinnen Constanze Heydkamp und Vanessa Borkmann präsentieren darin drei wissenschaftlich fundierte Zukunftsbilder, welche die künftigen Rollen der Hotellerie definieren. Die Untersuchung stützt sich auf eine tiefgreifende Analyse gesellschaftlicher, technologischer sowie ökonomischer Entwicklungen und integriert Erkenntnisse aus Fachworkshops mit Branchenexperten. Im Fokus der Betrachtung stehen die Nachhaltigkeit, die fortschreitende Digitalisierung sowie die Einbindung der Betriebe in lokale Ökosysteme."

Les possibilités de se connecter les uns aux autres n’ont jamais été aussi larges et pourtant, le sentiment de solitude est très répandu au sein de la population. Un phénomène qui serait lié à la digitalisation de nos modes de vie, et qui coûte cher à la société