How AI is changing tourism: new entry points and brand strategies
Tourism has changed significantly as AI enters trip planning and booking. Traditional entry points such as search engines and online travel agencies are gradually making room for voice assistants and chatbots that build complete itineraries. This creates new challenges for brands and agencies, alongside unexpected opportunities for growth.
Travellers once compared reviews and prices across search, Booking, Aviasales and many other sites. Many now ask AI for a complete holiday plan covering flights, accommodation and activities. A synthesised recommendation changes both channel use and brand strategy.
Research indicates that around 90% of travellers already use AI for trip planning or are interested in doing so. Russia is no exception: usage is growing quickly, and major technology companies and banks are developing AI itinerary and booking services. Hotels, airlines and travel agencies therefore need more than an online presence. Being visible and mentioned in AI answers increasingly affects whether customers consider them.
The new travel funnel has three stages: destination choice, comparison and booking. AI is established in the first two, and payment automation is expected to follow. SEO and contextual ads therefore belong in a wider system covering AI citations, voice search and multimodal journeys.
Experts recommend assessing how accurately and frequently major AI systems mention your brand. Review booking integrations and replace generic content with precise facts, detailed reviews and expert material that can be cited. Track AI visibility alongside established marketing metrics.
Voice assistants are increasingly used for travel planning, creating competition for a single recommendation. Brands need timely, relevant information, not just traffic volume. Voice results leave little room for second or third options: visibility often depends on being the first recommendation.
Russia's market may see consolidation and more banking and corporate AI services. Travel businesses need strategy, analytics and technology working together as AI adoption becomes important for competitiveness and growth.
Future travel marketing needs AI, data and analytics working towards business outcomes, not lead volume alone. Sustainable growth and investment returns require adaptation through an integrated approach.
