The article discusses how travel tech firms are increasingly investing in AI agents and systems to autonomously research, plan, and book trips for users. These “agentic” tools are evolving from simple recommendation engines into decision-making platforms that can act — not just suggest — on behalf of travelers. The shift means the travel industry may soon see fewer site visits and more bookings made via AI intermediaries. Because these agents control what users see, they become new gatekeepers. For hotels and travel suppliers, this creates a challenge: they must prove relevance and value to AI systems, not just to human travelers, if they want to stay in the mix.
