Propellic Study Finds AI Visibility for Travel Is Taking 71% of US Travellers Direct to Operators

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Artificial intelligence is reshaping how travellers discover destinations, hotels, tours and travel experiences, with 71% of US travellers sent directly to operators during a new Propellic study. The finding comes from a week-long observation of travellers using AI tools to plan real trips independently.

The study found that 68% of participants preferred booking direct even before AI guided them towards operators. Propellic says the results reinforce its 2025 research while expanding the scope beyond Google AI Mode. The latest findings suggest that large language models are becoming a new gateway to travel discovery and booking.

For hotels, tour operators and destinations, the shift creates a potentially significant distribution opportunity. However, that opportunity depends on whether travel businesses make their information visible, accessible and usable to AI systems.

AI Is Changing How Travellers Search

Propellic observed US travellers as they planned actual trips using AI during a week-long research exercise. Participants selected destinations, investigated accommodation, created itineraries, explored day tours and attempted bookings.

The research focused on behaviour rather than hypothetical attitudes. Travellers used their own tools and screens while thinking aloud during the planning process. This approach offered a closer view of how AI now fits into real travel decisions.

The headline finding is particularly significant for travel operators. AI directed 71% of travellers directly to the operator, according to Propellic.

That behaviour challenges the traditional travel discovery journey. Travellers have historically moved between search engines, online travel agencies, review platforms and supplier websites. AI can compress several of those stages into one conversational interaction.

The development also changes the importance of visibility. A hotel or tour company may have a strong website, yet still struggle to appear in an AI-generated recommendation.

Direct Booking Gains Fresh Momentum

The research also found that 68% of travellers preferred booking direct independently of the AI experience.

That preference gives operators an important commercial signal. If AI tools increasingly guide travellers towards supplier websites, businesses could gain more opportunities to convert demand without relying entirely on intermediary channels.

However, direct booking does not automatically follow AI discovery. Travellers still need accurate information, competitive offers, clear availability and a frictionless booking process.

For operators, therefore, AI discovery represents only the first stage. The website experience must complete the journey.

This distinction matters because AI can introduce travellers to a business that they might not have discovered through conventional search. Yet poor digital infrastructure can still push those travellers elsewhere.

Why AI Visibility Matters For Operators

The findings point towards a broader change in travel marketing.

Search visibility traditionally depended heavily on rankings, paid placements, reviews and distribution relationships. AI introduces another layer because models need information that they can understand, retrieve and use.

That makes AI visibility for travel increasingly relevant to hotels, attractions, destinations and experience providers.

Businesses must therefore consider how clearly their products appear across digital sources. Pricing, room types, locations, facilities, opening hours, cancellation policies and experiences can all influence how useful a business becomes during AI-assisted planning.

Accuracy is equally important. Outdated information can create friction when an AI system recommends a property or activity based on incorrect details.

Consequently, travel marketers may need to think beyond conventional search-engine optimisation. They must also consider whether their digital content provides enough reliable context for AI systems to interpret the business correctly.

Hotels Face A New Discovery Challenge

Hotels could experience some of the most visible effects of this transition.

Travellers increasingly ask AI tools to compare accommodation by location, price, facilities, suitability and proximity to attractions. Those questions require detailed information rather than simple promotional messaging.

A hotel with comprehensive and consistently updated information can provide AI systems with more material to interpret. Conversely, fragmented or outdated information may weaken its visibility during recommendation-led searches.

The same principle applies to tour operators. Detailed descriptions of experiences, schedules, destinations, inclusions and booking conditions can help travellers understand the offer.

For destination organisations, the challenge becomes broader. They must make attractions, transport information, events and experiences sufficiently discoverable across the digital ecosystem.

Travellers Could Gain Simpler Planning

The shift also has practical implications for travellers.

AI can reduce the amount of time needed to research a destination. Instead of opening numerous pages, travellers can ask a sequence of questions and refine their plans through conversation.

For example, a traveller could begin with a destination request before narrowing the search by accommodation, activities, transport and booking preferences. This creates a more connected planning process than conventional keyword searches.

However, travellers should still verify critical information before booking. AI-generated recommendations can change, and information may become outdated.

Official operator websites remain particularly important for confirming prices, availability, cancellation conditions and booking terms. Travellers should also check official destination and transport information when planning time-sensitive journeys.

Intermediaries Face A Different Equation

The findings are less straightforward for businesses positioned between travellers and operators.

Online travel agencies, metasearch platforms and other intermediaries have traditionally played a major role in travel discovery. Their value often comes from aggregating inventory, comparing prices and simplifying transactions.

AI could strengthen that role in some journeys. Yet it could also bypass intermediaries when travellers receive direct links to hotels, attractions or tour companies.

The distinction will depend on how AI systems construct recommendations and where travellers ultimately complete transactions.

Propellic’s finding therefore signals a distribution shift rather than the disappearance of intermediaries. Travel businesses will need to determine how AI fits alongside existing channels rather than treating it as an isolated marketing trend.

From Search Rankings To AI Discoverability

Propellic says its latest research expands on its 2025 work, which identified similar direct-booking behaviour. The company has since broadened its research beyond Google AI Mode.

That expansion reflects the rapidly changing AI landscape. Travellers now encounter conversational discovery through multiple tools and interfaces.

The important change is not simply that travellers use AI. It is that they increasingly use AI across multiple stages of the travel journey.

What Travel Businesses Should Examine

The study gives operators several areas to examine immediately.

First, businesses should review the accuracy of their publicly available information. Secondly, they should ensure important travel details remain consistent across major digital touchpoints.

Operators should also examine whether their websites answer the questions travellers increasingly ask AI tools. Location, pricing, availability, amenities, policies and experience details should be easy to understand.

Most importantly, businesses should treat AI discovery and direct conversion as connected parts of the customer journey.

The research suggests that travellers are not necessarily looking for another intermediary. They may simply want a faster route from inspiration to a trustworthy supplier.

Direct Demand Could Reshape Distribution

The significance of Propellic’s findings extends beyond marketing.

If AI consistently directs travellers towards operators, the distribution structure of travel could gradually evolve. Direct channels could gain additional relevance as travellers rely less on traditional search journeys.

For hotels, tour companies and destinations, that could create new opportunities to capture demand closer to the source. At the same time, it could intensify competition for inclusion in AI-generated recommendations.

The central challenge will be visibility. Businesses cannot benefit from AI-led demand if AI systems cannot discover or understand their offerings.

Propellic’s research consequently places AI visibility for travel at the centre of a wider industry conversation. The next phase of travel marketing may depend less on simply being found in search results. Increasingly, businesses may need to become the answer that AI can confidently recommend.

For travellers, that could mean faster planning and more direct routes to suppliers. For operators, it could open a powerful new distribution channel. For the wider travel ecosystem, however, it marks another fundamental change in how demand moves from inspiration to booking.