How travel brands can earn AI recommendations

Search engines are shifting from information retrieval to recommendation engines, fundamentally altering how travel brands approach online visibility. This evolution is driven by the increasing use of large language models (LLMs) by consumers for planning trips. Users now engage in extended, conversational interactions with AI assistants like ChatGPT, building personalized travel plans over time. Instead of performing discrete searches for "hotels in Porto" or "things to do in Rome," travelers are initiating broader queries within AI interfaces, such as creating a "Summer 2026" folder and asking "Where should I stay in Porto for a quiet weekend within walking distance of the historic center?" These conversations then organically expand to cover accommodation, transportation, attractions, and detailed itineraries. The core challenge for travel brands is no longer just ensuring their website is understood by search engines, but rather demonstrating to AI systems why their business is a suitable recommendation for specific user needs and preferences. This requires a strategic shift in SEO efforts to align with the conversational and personalized nature of AI-driven travel planning, where users seek curated suggestions rather than raw lists of websites.