Booking.com aims to secure bookings despite AI-driven trip research

Booking.com is addressing the challenge of remaining relevant at the point travelers are ready to pay, even as many start their trip planning with artificial intelligence (AI), according to Skift.

A survey by Booking.com found that 64% of travelers in the Asia-Pacific region use AI to plan trips. However, Booking Holdings reported that traffic directly referred by large language models accounts for less than 1% of room nights booked.

Laura Houldsworth, Booking.com’s managing director for Asia-Pacific, explained to Skift that travelers often use multiple AI chatbots during their research, such as Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google, before coming directly to Booking.com to complete bookings.

Booking.com’s experience with superapps suggests that while AI may dominate the start of trip planning, the platform believes trust and payment capabilities are crucial for closing bookings.

The company is focusing on capturing the economic value of bookings despite the presence of various payment and messaging platforms that may sit between travelers and online travel agencies.

Booking.com is therefore betting on being the platform where travelers finalize their reservations, even if AI tools assist earlier stages of trip planning.