Are HomeToGo, Airbnb and Expedia Creating the World’s First AI-Powered Travel Experience?

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Are HomeToGo, Airbnb and Expedia Creating the World’s First AI-Powered Travel Experience?The global travel industry is entering a new AI-powered transformation phase as leading companies including HomeToGo, Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia Group, TUI Group, Amadeus and Tripadvisor develop intelligent systems to change how travellers discover, plan and experience journeys.

These companies are moving beyond traditional search and booking models by using artificial intelligence for personalised recommendations, automated customer support, predictive insights and smarter travel planning. HomeToGo is applying AI across operations, marketing and vacation rental services, while Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia are developing AI assistants and personalised search technologies.

Tripadvisor is also expanding AI-powered travel planning by combining artificial intelligence with millions of traveller reviews, ratings and experiences to deliver more relevant recommendations.

The emerging competition is not only about selling flights, hotels or holiday homes. It is about creating a complete digital travel companion that can understand traveller preferences, suggest destinations, simplify decisions and provide support throughout the journey. As AI becomes central to travel technology, these companies are competing to define the future of intelligent, personalised and automated travel experiences.

HomeToGo Turns AI Into a Business Engine as Vacation Rental Platform Reports Faster Operations, Lower Costs and Stronger Growth

HomeToGo is accelerating its artificial intelligence strategy as the vacation rental marketplace links AI adoption with major operational improvements, stronger marketing performance and faster product development. The company said its internal AI rollout has become a key driver of business efficiency during the first half of 2026, with every employee gaining access to 15 AI tools designed to improve daily operations.

HomeToGo Expands AI Across Entire Business Operations

HomeToGo said artificial intelligence has been implemented across multiple departments, allowing teams to automate repetitive processes, improve decision-making and speed up innovation. The company confirmed that 100% of its workforce now has access to AI tools.

The travel platform highlighted several operational improvements linked to AI adoption. Customer email responses have become three times faster, while AI automation has reduced the number of customer chats requiring human escalation by 85%.

The company’s AI strategy focuses on improving efficiency while maintaining service quality. Instead of replacing human teams, HomeToGo is using automation to handle routine requests and allow employees to focus on more complex traveller and partner needs.

AI Marketing Delivers Higher Returns With Lower Production Costs

One of HomeToGo’s strongest AI results has come from its marketing operations. The company said AI-generated responsive search advertisements are outperforming human-created advertising content in several internal tests.

According to HomeToGo, AI-powered advertising delivered a 44% increase in return on advertising spend in many tests while operating at almost zero generation cost.

The company is also applying AI to video production, reporting that AI tools have reduced production costs by more than 60%. This allows HomeToGo to create marketing content faster while improving cost efficiency across campaigns.

The move reflects a wider travel industry shift where companies are using AI to personalise marketing, optimise advertising budgets and reach travellers more effectively.

AI Speeds Up Product Development From Months to Weeks

Beyond marketing and customer service, HomeToGo said AI is changing how quickly it can develop new digital products.

The company highlighted its new partner centre featuring a natural language interface as a major example. HomeToGo said the product was developed and launched in just four weeks, compared with an estimated six-month timeline using previous development methods.

This faster product cycle allows the company to introduce improvements more quickly for property partners and travellers.

For accommodation providers, AI-powered tools can simplify platform management, while travellers benefit from improved booking experiences and faster access to new features.

HomeToGo Growth Accelerates Through B2B Expansion

The AI developments come alongside strong financial results for the first half of 2026. HomeToGo reported IFRS revenue of €160.1 million, representing a 71.8% increase compared with €93.2 million during the same period in 2025.

A major growth driver was HomeToGo_PRO, the company’s B2B business segment, which expanded rapidly following the 2025 acquisition of Interhome.

HomeToGo said its B2B division now represents 66% of total company revenue. During the first half of 2026, the segment generated €105.2 million, marking a 250.5% year-on-year increase.

The company also reported improved free cash flow of €48.2 million during the period.

AI Improves Efficiency but Profitability Remains a Challenge

Although HomeToGo reported stronger operational performance, financial challenges remain. The company recorded an adjusted EBITDA loss of €15.1 million in the first half of 2026, improving from a loss of €20.5 million during the same period last year.

Net loss increased to approximately €58.2 million compared with €42.9 million in H1 2025.

HomeToGo’s consumer-focused B2C marketplace division also continued shifting towards profitability rather than rapid revenue expansion. Adjusted EBITDA for the segment improved by 16% year on year to a loss of €16.8 million, while IFRS revenue declined to €58.8 million from €65.5 million in H1 2025.

Airbnb – United States

AI System Focus: AI Search, Personalisation Engine and AI Customer Support Assistant

Airbnb is one of the closest competitors to HomeToGo because both operate in the alternative accommodation sector. Airbnb is using AI to improve how travellers discover homes, communicate with hosts and solve problems during trips.

The company uses artificial intelligence across three major areas:

AI-powered search and discovery

Airbnb uses AI algorithms to understand traveller preferences, including:

• Previous searches
• Booking history
• Location preferences
• Price expectations
• Preferred amenities

The system analyses thousands of available properties and ranks listings that are more relevant to each traveller.

For example, a family searching for a beach holiday may receive properties with:

• Larger spaces
• Kitchens
• Child-friendly facilities
• Nearby attractions

The goal is to replace traditional keyword search with a more personalised discovery process.

AI customer support assistant

Airbnb has introduced an AI Assistant that handles common traveller and host queries.

The system can:

• Answer booking questions
• Explain cancellation policies
• Provide reservation information
• Guide users through support processes

The AI assistant uses information from Airbnb help resources and reservation data to provide faster responses.

Benefits for travellers

Airbnb’s AI gives travellers:

• Faster answers without waiting for customer service agents
• More relevant accommodation recommendations
• Easier property discovery
• Better support during emergencies

The wider strategy is to make Airbnb operate like a digital travel companion rather than only a booking marketplace.

Booking.com – Netherlands

AI System Focus: Large Language Models, AI Trip Planner and Machine Learning Recommendation Systems

Booking.com is investing heavily in conversational AI to change how travellers search and plan trips.

The company combines:

• Machine learning models
• Large Language Models (LLMs)
• OpenAI technology
• Proprietary travel data

to create a more natural booking experience.

AI Trip Planner

Booking.com developed an AI Trip Planner that allows travellers to ask questions in normal language.

Instead of searching manually:

“Hotels in Paris”

travellers can ask:

“Find a romantic Paris hotel near museums with a balcony under my budget.”

The AI understands the intention behind the request and recommends suitable options.

The system combines:

• Property information
• Pricing data
• Availability
• Customer reviews
• Destination information

to generate suggestions.

Smart recommendation technology

Booking.com has used machine learning for years to improve:

• Hotel rankings
• Search results
• Review visibility
• Personalised recommendations

Generative AI is now adding a conversational layer on top of these systems.

Benefits for travellers

Travellers gain:

• Faster destination inspiration
• Less time searching through thousands of hotels
• More personalised recommendations
• Easier itinerary creation

The company’s objective is to move travel planning from “search and filter” towards “conversation and discovery”.

Expedia Group – United States

AI System Focus: AI Travel Assistant, Customer Service Automation and Predictive Personalisation

Expedia Group is one of the most advanced travel companies using AI across the entire booking ecosystem.

The company applies AI through:

• Generative AI tools
• Machine learning systems
• Conversational assistants
• Personalisation engines

AI-powered customer service agent

Expedia’s AI service agent is designed to answer customer questions automatically.

The system handles:

• Booking changes
• Travel information
• Common support requests
• Reservation assistance

Expedia says its AI service technology manages more than 143 million conversations annually and helps many travellers complete support requests without contacting human agents.

AI trip planning assistant

Expedia has experimented with AI assistants that help travellers:

• Discover destinations
• Create itineraries
• Compare hotels
• Manage trips

Its AI systems can understand conversational requests and provide travel recommendations.

For example:

“I want a five-day family trip with beaches and activities.”

The system can analyse preferences and suggest suitable options.

AI for partners and suppliers

Expedia also uses AI to support hotels and travel businesses by improving:

• Listing content
• Partner onboarding
• Marketing performance
• Data insights

Benefits for travellers

Travellers receive:

• Faster problem resolution
• Personalised recommendations
• Easier booking decisions
• Better support before and during travel

Expedia’s ambition is to create an AI-powered travel marketplace that supports the entire journey.

TUI Group – Germany

AI System Focus: Operational Efficiency, Customer Service and Cost Reduction

TUI Group represents the traditional tourism sector’s move into AI.

Unlike Airbnb and Booking.com, which focus heavily on digital marketplaces, TUI is using AI to improve large-scale tourism operations.

Its AI applications include:

• Customer service automation
• Marketing optimisation
• Demand forecasting
• Internal process improvements

The company has highlighted AI-driven efficiency improvements as part of its broader digital transformation strategy.

How travellers benefit

AI helps TUI customers through:

• Faster holiday searches
• More personalised package recommendations
• Quicker customer support
• Improved travel communication

For a company managing hotels, flights and holiday packages, AI helps coordinate complex travel operations.

Amadeus – Spain

AI System Focus: Travel Infrastructure, Predictive Analytics and Industry Automation

Amadeus IT Group plays a different role from consumer platforms.

It provides technology systems used by:

• Airlines
• Hotels
• Airports
• Travel agencies

Amadeus uses AI for:

• Demand forecasting
• Revenue management
• Airline operations
• Traveller personalisation

The company’s AI systems analyse large volumes of travel data to help suppliers make better decisions.

Traveller benefits

Although travellers may not directly see Amadeus AI, they benefit through:

• More accurate availability
• Better pricing decisions
• Smoother airline operations
• More personalised offers

Tripadvisor – United States

AI System Focus: Review Intelligence and Travel Inspiration

Tripadvisor uses AI mainly to improve travel discovery.

Its AI technology focuses on:

• Review summaries
• Personalised recommendations
• Trip planning

Instead of reading thousands of reviews, travellers can receive simplified insights about:

• Hotel strengths
• Restaurant experiences
• Popular attractions

Traveller benefits

AI helps users:

• Make faster decisions
• Understand traveller opinions
• Build personalised itineraries

Global Comparison: How Travel Companies Use AI

The AI race in travel is moving beyond chatbots. Companies are building complete AI ecosystems that can understand traveller preferences, recommend products, solve problems and automate business operations.

HomeToGo’s announcement is important because it highlights the business side of AI: reducing costs and improving efficiency. Meanwhile, Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia are pushing AI further into the customer journey by creating digital travel assistants.

The future competition in travel technology will likely not be only about who has the biggest inventory. It will be about which company can use AI to understand travellers better, remove booking friction and create a more personalised journey from inspiration to arrival.