In early 2026, a traveller in Bengaluru planning a short holiday does not begin with a travel website or a comparison portal. Instead, she asks her phone a simple question in English mixed with Kannada about the best places to visit near Coorg in March. Within seconds, an AI powered assistant suggests destinations, highlights hotel options, estimates budgets, and even proposes a three day itinerary. The brands that appear in this response are not there by chance. They are the ones that have adapted to a new reality in travel marketing where visibility is increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence rather than traditional search rankings alone.
Across India’s travel ecosystem, artificial intelligence is reshaping how destinations, airlines, hotels, and travel platforms are discovered. From conversational search and predictive recommendations to AI generated summaries and dynamic pricing cues, the rules of travel marketing are being rewritten. As the industry looks toward 2026, visibility is no longer just about being present on a search engine or booking platform. It is about being selected, interpreted, and surfaced by AI systems that increasingly guide consumer decisions.
India’s travel recovery post pandemic has been strong, driven by rising disposable incomes, improved infrastructure, and a growing appetite for both leisure and business travel. Industry estimates suggest that India’s travel and tourism market is expected to cross 500 billion dollars by the end of the decade. At the same time, digital behaviour has shifted. Consumers now expect faster answers, personalised suggestions, and seamless planning experiences. AI has stepped in to meet these expectations, and in doing so, it has become central to how travel brands compete for attention.
One of the most visible changes is how travellers search for information. Instead of typing fragmented keywords, consumers are increasingly asking full questions. Queries such as best hill stations for family travel in summer or business friendly hotels near Mumbai airport are becoming common. Industry surveys indicate that more than 60 percent of Indian travellers now use conversational or voice based queries at some stage of travel planning. This shift has major implications for visibility. AI systems tend to return fewer results, often summarised into a single response. For marketers, this means the difference between being included in an AI response or being invisible.
Online travel aggregators have been among the first to adapt. Platforms such as MakeMyTrip, Cleartrip, and Yatra are investing heavily in AI driven recommendation engines that personalise search results based on user behaviour, past bookings, and seasonal demand. These systems do not simply rank hotels or flights by price. They assess likelihood of conversion, relevance to the traveller’s intent, and even probability of satisfaction based on historical data.
Rajesh Magow, Co founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip, has previously noted that AI plays a critical role in helping travellers navigate overwhelming choices. According to him, intelligent recommendations reduce friction and improve decision making by surfacing the most relevant options rather than the most popular ones. This approach aligns with how modern travellers behave. Research shows that nearly 70 percent of users abandon travel searches when presented with too many options. AI powered filtering helps reduce this fatigue.
Airlines are also rethinking visibility through AI. Dynamic pricing models, once limited to yield management, are now integrated into marketing decisions. Airlines use AI to predict demand spikes around festivals, long weekends, and business travel cycles. These insights inform not only pricing but also where and how offers are promoted. A traveller searching for flights to Delhi may see different airline recommendations depending on travel purpose, loyalty status, and booking history.
For Indian carriers, AI driven visibility is also tied to route promotion. Airlines are using predictive analytics to identify emerging travel corridors and promote them proactively. For instance, regional routes supported under government schemes are marketed through personalised notifications and contextual ads surfaced by AI systems when users search for nearby destinations.
Hospitality brands are experiencing a similar shift. Hotels are no longer competing solely on online travel agency rankings. AI driven discovery means that hotel visibility depends on structured data, guest reviews, content relevance, and contextual signals. A business traveller searching for a quiet hotel with strong connectivity near Gurugram may see a different set of properties compared to a leisure traveller planning a weekend getaway.
Data from hospitality consultancies suggests that more than 75 percent of hotel bookings in India are influenced by AI driven recommendations either through OTAs, search engines, or brand platforms. Hotels that invest in high quality content, accurate metadata, and consistent guest feedback are more likely to be surfaced by AI systems.
Tourism boards are also embracing AI powered visibility. State tourism departments are using conversational interfaces and AI driven content to guide travellers through destination planning. Chatbots deployed on tourism websites answer questions about itineraries, weather, permits, and local experiences. Some states have introduced multilingual virtual assistants to cater to domestic travellers who prefer regional languages.
A senior official from a state tourism board noted that AI helps bridge information gaps, particularly for first time travellers. Instead of navigating multiple pages, travellers receive concise guidance tailored to their interests. This not only improves visitor experience but also helps promote lesser known destinations.
The rise of AI generated overviews is another factor reshaping travel marketing. Search engines increasingly summarise travel information directly on results pages. These summaries often include destination highlights, average costs, best travel periods, and accommodation suggestions. While this improves user experience, it challenges marketers who traditionally relied on clicks to drive engagement.
Travel brands now need to optimise for inclusion within AI summaries rather than focusing solely on ranking. This requires clear, factual, and authoritative content that AI systems can trust. Marketers are investing in detailed destination guides, structured FAQs, and updated listings to ensure accuracy.
According to industry data, more than 50 percent of Indian travellers are comfortable using AI tools to plan trips, including itinerary generation and budget estimation. Younger travellers, in particular, are turning to AI assistants for inspiration rather than browsing multiple websites. This trend is pushing travel marketers to focus on discoverability within AI ecosystems.
Business travel is also being shaped by AI powered visibility. Corporate travel platforms use AI to recommend flights and hotels that align with company policies, sustainability goals, and traveller preferences. These recommendations influence booking decisions long before a human travel manager intervenes.
For hotels catering to business travellers, visibility within these systems depends on factors such as proximity to business districts, flexibility of booking terms, and traveller reviews. AI systems prioritise properties that meet policy requirements and have high satisfaction scores.
Industry estimates suggest that AI driven tools can reduce business travel booking time by up to 30 percent. This efficiency is reshaping how travel suppliers position themselves in the corporate segment.
Marketing measurement is evolving alongside these changes. Traditional metrics such as impressions and click through rates are no longer sufficient. Travel marketers are tracking inclusion rates within AI recommendations, conversion from AI assisted journeys, and engagement within conversational interfaces.
A digital marketing head at a leading hotel chain shared that AI driven visibility has changed campaign planning. Instead of focusing only on seasonal promotions, teams now plan content updates aligned with AI training cycles and traveller intent trends.
Trust and transparency remain critical. Travellers expect AI recommendations to be unbiased and accurate. Any mismatch between AI surfaced information and actual experience can damage brand credibility. This is especially important in travel, where decisions involve significant spending and emotional investment.
As 2026 approaches, AI powered visibility is becoming a defining factor in travel marketing success. Brands that understand how AI systems interpret, rank, and recommend travel options are gaining an advantage. Those that rely solely on traditional discovery channels risk losing relevance in an increasingly AI mediated journey.
The shift does not eliminate the need for creative storytelling or brand building. Instead, it demands that storytelling be structured, contextual, and aligned with how AI systems process information. Travel marketing is becoming a balance between inspiration and information, emotion and efficiency.
For Indian travel brands, the message is clear. Visibility is no longer just about being present everywhere. It is about being present where AI looks first. As travellers increasingly rely on AI to guide decisions, the brands that adapt will shape not just journeys, but how India travels in the years ahead.
Disclaimer: All data points and statistics are attributed to published research studies and verified market research. All quotes are either sourced directly or attributed to public statements.