AI revolution in travel ‘well underway’, says Google

Google predicts that AI advancements are already reshaping travel consumer behavior, with even more changes expected in the coming year

During a presentation at the 2024 Travel Weekly Future of Travel Conference, Ailish O'Brien highlighted the transformative impact of AI on how individuals search for and plan their vacations online. "Travelers are increasingly looking for a deeper experience," she said. "They are approaching their planning from different perspectives, which requires us to adapt to ensure we are delivering the experiences they want in order to secure these bookings."

Key takeaways

• O'Brien noted that over the past six months, there has been a noticeable shift toward longer and more complex search queries, which can be attributed to advances in AI;
• Queries longer than five words have increased by a factor of 1.5 during this period, with Google research showing that 15% of daily searches are entirely new;
• Beyond consumer search behavior, AI has also impacted travel companies by helping to address challenges in areas such as marketing, customer experience and operational efficiency, O'Brien pointed out.

Get the full story at Travel Weekly UK