How will AI search and AI assistants impact brand strategy for OTAs?

The online travel agency (OTA) landscape has always been competitive, crowded, and constantly evolving. Some would say the lifeblood of the travel and tourism industry, others might challenge that they're a thorn in their side.

Whatever your stance, nothing has triggered more profound change or more opportunity than artificial intelligence and the impact of AI on OTAs, AI assistants and generative search. For OTAs looking to stand out and connect meaningfully with travellers, AI has shifted not just operations, but the very heart of brand strategy. You're gonna have to switch things up - right now.

From transactions to tailored experiences - the impact of AI is forcing OTAs to adapt

OTAs historically positioned themselves as marketplaces: price, convenience, and selection. From GetYourGuide and Viator to Tiqets and Day Out With The Kids,. But as travellers began craving more unique, authentic, and value-driven experiences, OTAs faced a messy middle between what they were selling and what customers really wanted.

AI helps close that gap.

With real-time data, sentiment analysis, and predictive algorithms, OTAs can now deliver hyper-personalised recommendations, dynamic pricing, and customer support that feels bespoke. This isn’t just operational efficiency - it’s situational relevance: meeting customers where they are, in the moment, with offers and stories that resonate.

Trigger thinking, not just selling

A key shift in OTA brand strategy is moving from simply showcasing inventory to understanding what triggers action.

AI allows OTAs to identify these emotional and situational triggers - a milestone birthday, a viral destination trend, a sudden weather change. And then craft campaigns around them. Instead of pushing generic discounts, OTAs can deliver timely, meaningful suggestions that feel intuitive and considerate.

Building trust in the age of automation

As one PhocusWire piece notes, travellers are wary of generic, automated interactions. They want tech that enhances not replaces - the human connection. The brands winning in this space use AI to support authenticity, not undermine it.

For example, AI-powered chatbots can handle simple queries instantly, freeing human agents to focus on nuanced, high-emotion conversations. Dynamic content can be personalised to reflect a traveller’s preferences without crossing into the uncanny valley. AI enables consistency and clarity in messaging, ensuring a seamless journey across platforms. There have been some fantastic contacts within the Travel Massive community about this - use AI tools to automate the basics so humans can focus on what they do best - the micro moments, surprise and delight, and smiles.

Reimagining value propositions

With AI transforming operations, the value proposition of an OTA also needs to evolve. OTAs can’t simply claim lowest prices or biggest choice anymore when everyone has access to the same deals and we're not browsing like we're used to - we're looking to our AI assistants, Reddit and TikTok communities.

Instead, for those who are smart, AI allows brands to emphasise what makes them truly useful:

• Curating experiences travellers didn’t know they wanted.

• Recognising and acting on customer emotions and intent.

• Making complex travel feel simple and stress-free.

  
  

This is where brand strategy should focus: helping customers see why you’re the right choice not just cheaper or faster, but more aligned to their needs and values.

Avoiding the pitfalls

AI is powerful, but it’s not a panacea. Poor implementation can lead to generic messaging, privacy missteps, or over-automation that alienates customers. As highlighted in a recent ScienceDirect article, OTAs also face ethical and employment-related questions when scaling AI.

The opportunity lies in integrating AI thoughtfully: uncovering opportunities hiding in your customer journey, clarifying your tone and proposition, and aligning tech with authentic human values.

The biggest issues for OTAs

When we use AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini to help us find exactly what we want, the OTA is excluded from the conversation, as is Google.

Questioning and prompts are becoming super specific - think "find me a farm park within 30 minutes drive that has easy free parking, a cafe and plenty to do for both a five and nine year old".

Now, OTAs can integrate sophisticated AI search and assistants, but why would we need them when AI can search literally every reference point out there including attraction's own sites, review sites, forums and socials?

For years, OTAs have benefitted from long-standing consumer habits like “I’ll just check Booking.com / Expedia / TripAdvisor” plus and SEO dominance. But AI assistants cut them out entirely, answering queries directly and even making bookings on the traveller’s behalf. If you say:

“Find me a boutique hotel in the Cotswolds with a spa under £300/night and book it,”, the AI could go direct to the hotel’s own site if it’s integrated.

More risks of AI to OTAs...

SEO & paid search squeeze - OTAs have long relied on bidding for search terms and strong SEO but AI-powered search (like Google’s SGE and Bing Copilot) often surfaces direct answers, rich snippets, or even bypasses search altogether. Less real estate + lower CTR = higher costs and lower ROI.

Erosion of trust & differentiation - If OTAs compete on inventory everyone else has and AI tools make it easier to find the best price and direct link, why would someone pick an OTA over going direct? Their brand promise gets fuzzy: “We’re just another middleman.”

Reduced commissions - As suppliers get better at digital marketing and AI lowers their barrier to direct bookings, they may push harder against OTA commissions and invest more in loyalty programs to bypass OTAs altogether.

How OTAs Could Stay Relevant

So what can OTAs do to survive this disintermediation? It comes back to situational relevance, trust, and creative value-adds.

✅ Be the curator, not just the catalogue

• OTAs can differentiate by offering unique, bundled, or niche experiences AI assistants can’t easily assemble yet.

• Think: “local expert” + “inspiration” + “hidden gems.”

✅ Invest in proprietary experiences & exclusives

• Offer products, perks, or partnerships that you can’t get elsewhere - whether that’s VIP access, better cancellation policies, loyalty benefits, or unique content.

✅ Integrate with AI, don’t fight it

• Build APIs and partnerships so that when a traveller asks their AI assistant for something, the OTA is still feeding the results behind the scenes - even if the OTA’s brand is invisible, its platform can earn a fee.

✅ Double down on trust & transparency

• Many travellers still want the security of knowing someone’s got their back if something goes wrong. OTAs can emphasise their customer support, reviews, and consumer protections as a reason to book with them rather than a faceless site.

✅ Shift from being just a sales channel to a service

• Providing planning tools, travel inspiration, loyalty ecosystems, and integrated post-booking support (insurance, visas, itinerary management, etc.) can keep them relevant as well as connecting customers to other travellers - AI can't create community and human connection - yet.

  
  

The messy middle here is that OTAs have to figure out what unique problem they solve once “inventory aggregation” is no longer enough. The brands that succeed will likely:

• Align their brand promise with new traveller needs,

• Embed themselves into the AI-driven journey as an indispensable source,

• And find ways to create emotional & experiential value beyond transactions.

What’s next?

AI has given OTAs the tools to sort their own messy middle: to clarify what they stand for, understand who they serve, and find fresh ways to trigger connection and action. But it’s up to the brands themselves to wield these tools creatively, ethically, and strategically.

For OTAs, the winners won’t be those who simply automate faster, but those who use AI to listen better, tell better stories, and build trust that endures beyond the booking.

About Catherine Warrilow

Hi I'm Catherine and I'm a brand strategy expert for visitor attractions and experiences, destinations, DMOs and travel tech brands. I worked for OTAs for many years and now help attractions to create brand propositions that connect the business with the customer in a way that drives proper value, engagement and ROI.