Travel & Algorithms

From discovery to purchase: what's changing for hotels and destinations in the age of algorithms

Algorithms are already the new “travel agent” for consumers. The data confirms this: 62% plan after interacting with online content and 75% say they are influenced by social media.

At the same time, major players are analyzing search queries, location, and interaction history to feed AI models capable of predicting travelers' next moves. These signals are reshaping the funnel and forcing hotels and destinations to adopt a more data-driven and timely approach.

1) The algorithm as a “vacation engine”

Digital life is now the prequel to every itinerary: Google searches, Instagram saves, TikTok likes, and purchasing habits become inputs that feed AI and guide inspiration, comparison, and final choice. Every micro-interaction is a signal: those who know how to intercept it gain relevance and conversion when the user is most receptive.

2) Key data: from inspiration to booking

• 62% of travelers plan after exposure to online content (blogs, videos, UGC).
• 75% are influenced by social media, which becomes a fast track to discovery.
• Travel platforms and financial partners enrich AI models with queries, geolocation, and history to predict purchase intent and timing.
  
  

This combination makes AI the natural bridge between content, interest, and booking.

3) What to do now: respond to signals in real time

The challenge is to “stay ahead of the game”: respond in real time to digital clues and turn them into tailored advantages (relevant messages, contextual offers, services consistent with preferences). In practice, this means ensuring that AI works in favor of the guest and the brand, without friction and without losing the human touch in the experience.

4) Operational playbook for hotels and destinations

• Signal map: list which touchpoints generate data (searches, social saves, emails). Align content and calls-to-action with each signal.
• Personalization with AI: Use AI to tailor offers and messages to the traveler's digital preferences and behaviors.
• Response times: Automate FAQs and recurring requests to intervene when intent is high (pre-stay, changes, service info).
• Content that activates: prioritize formats that generate interaction and saves (short videos, practical guides, UGC) to fuel the algorithm → interest → booking loop.
• Measure and iterate: observe which signals best anticipate booking and reinforce those paths (campaigns, landing pages, CRM).
  
  

5) Result: more relevance, less friction, more bookings

When the offer reflects digital signals, the user perceives immediate relevance, finds answers without friction, and converts with greater confidence. The goal is not to “do more marketing,” but to put AI at the service of hospitality, orchestrating content, messages, and services at the exact moment when the traveler is ready to choose.

📢 Want to turn digital signals into bookings?