Global travel industry giants including American Airlines, Royal Caribbean and Expedia are leading visibility in artificial intelligence search results for travel-related queries, BrightEdge research indicated Monday.
The study reported that while large booking platforms and carriers command significant presence in both Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT, opportunities exist for smaller sites focusing on subjective and human-experience-driven content.
BrightEdge reported that top travel brands consistently appeared at the forefront of AI search results across their respective categories. Hilton, for example, led Google AI Overviews for hotels with 28.3 percent visibility, while Marriott held the top spot in ChatGPT with 29.4 percent.
Expedia demonstrated a substantial lead over competitors, with its visibility on Google AI Overviews being 2.2 times greater than Kayak’s. On ChatGPT, Expedia’s visibility was 1.4 times that of Kayak, according to the research.
Booking platforms were featured in 78 percent of Google AI Overviews answers related to budget travel. However, the study noted that only 9 percent of tracked prompts had a direct booking intent, suggesting a broader range of user needs.
Queries focused on inspiration and human experience showed less domination by major brands, creating openings for platforms like Reddit, YouTube and smaller travel blogs.
YouTube, Reddit and AAA were more prominent in responses to inspirational questions. Conversely, hotels and cruise lines featured more frequently in comparison-oriented questions.
The research suggested that content emphasizing personal stories, unique experiences and niche advice could allow smaller entities to gain visibility in an AI search environment largely controlled by established industry players.
Source: Search Engine Journal
