Daniel Shin Un Kang, Head of Organic and Agentic Search at Expedia Group, outlined this changing landscape at Phocuswright’s Travel Marketing AI Summit in London. He argued that companies should not bet on a single version of the future. Instead, they should prepare for several possible outcomes.
Expedia now sees two distinct audiences
Until recently, travel marketing focused primarily on the consumer. Search engines largely acted as an intermediary channel. Now, however, an AI agent can compare and filter options before a traveller sees them.
Expedia describes this as a dual-audience framework. A travel provider must appeal to both the human customer and the system advising that customer. However, AI agents do not all behave in the same way. Different models can assess the same information using different criteria.
For that reason, Expedia has developed a dedicated approach to the relationship between businesses and AI agents. The aim is for agents to act more like ambassadors and less like new gatekeepers. In turn, they can direct travellers towards more relevant and trusted options.
Structured data becomes essential infrastructure
The shift has direct implications for hotels, airlines and destinations. Information about prices, amenities, location and policies must be clear and well organised. This allows an AI agent to find and assess the information more accurately.
According to Kang, structured data can still provide an advantage today. Soon, however, it will become a basic requirement. At the same time, competition will move beyond simple visibility towards credibility and real product value.
Therefore, technical marketing alone will not be enough. A hotel or destination will need accurate information and a clear value proposition. In addition, the actual product must deliver what it promises.
The next step is travel distribution
Expedia is not limiting its strategy to search. During 2026, the company introduced new artificial intelligence tools for its partner network. Among other capabilities, these tools let travel services integrate into new AI-powered environments.
Expedia’s B2B platform serves around 75,000 partners and 200,000 travel advisors. At the same time, it handles a substantial volume of technical interactions between different systems each day. As a result, artificial intelligence could reshape not only marketing but also travel distribution itself.
The company is also developing new ways for digital assistants to connect with travel data and services. This lets partners build search, planning, and service tools more easily. Meanwhile, it reduces the need for separate complex integrations for every application.
Layla acquisition strengthens the strategy
Another step came with Expedia’s 2026 acquisition of Layla. The platform uses artificial intelligence for destination discovery and personalised itinerary creation. Travellers can organise different parts of a trip through a conversational interface.
Layla can combine flights, accommodation, activities, dining and transport. Expedia can then connect this technology with its own inventory and booking infrastructure. In this way, the group aims to cover more of the traveller journey from inspiration to purchase.
AI is gaining ground, but trust remains limited
Despite rapid technological development, travellers are not yet ready to hand full control of their bookings to AI agents. Expedia Group research involving more than 5,700 adults found a clear divide between planning and purchasing.
Some 53% said they felt comfortable receiving travel recommendations from artificial intelligence. In addition, 40% already use or would use such tools to build an itinerary. Almost half also believe the technology can save them time.
However, attitudes shift at the booking stage. Some 68% prefer to complete a purchase through a travel brand they trust. At the same time, 66% would not trust a digital assistant to make a purchase on their behalf.
Only 8% said they were comfortable making a booking through such a platform. The main concerns involve control, payment details and personal data. Consequently, trust remains a critical part of the travel transaction.
The battle moves from search to trust
These findings help explain why Expedia does not see AI agents in travel simply as replacements for traditional search engines. Instead, it sees them as a new layer between the traveller and the travel business. The key question is which products these systems recommend and how they choose them.
For the travel industry, the change could prove as significant as the rise of search engines. However, one important difference remains. The new intermediary does not simply display links; it can compare, combine and recommend options.
Kang also believes marketing teams need to become more comfortable with experimentation. Some technology bets will fail, while others may create far greater value. For this reason, Expedia favours a portfolio of different bets rather than one single prediction.
Ultimately, the rise of AI agents in travel shifts attention towards data quality and credibility. At the same time, it increases the importance of genuine product value. For Expedia, the priority is to remain visible, understandable and trusted across whichever digital environment travellers choose in the future.
