AI has become vital for travel brands aiming for success in 2026, according to Propellic, a marketing agency focused on travel. Their AI Travel Megatrends 2025 and 2026 playbook reveals how artificial intelligence is overhauling travel marketing strategies. Propellic emphasizes the urgent need for brands to shift from isolated SEO and paid media strategies and instead focus on maintaining consistent visibility across search engines, recommendations, and AI-led ecosystems.

Prominent megatrends that have influenced the travel industry in 2025 and are predicted to persist into 2026 include a rise in AI-generated answers at the expense of traditional search models, leading to nearly 60% of searches becoming zero-click, significantly reducing organic traffic for many travel sites. Additionally, content evaluation is now guided by structure rather than length, and local searches are trending towards contextual intent, favoring niche communities.

The agency also underscores the importance of fundamental technical components such as clean site architecture and AI-accessible data that serve as revenue multipliers. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) has become a critical factor in SEO strategies, boosting brand visibility among large language model systems.

Looking into the future, Propellic predicts that AI will solidify its role in travel discovery and conversion. Search and advertising is expected to evolve beyond keyword reliance, with AI-native advertising integrated into assistant responses likely unlocking new demand opportunities. In the words of Brennen Bliss, “In 2026, the brands that succeed will be the ones AI can understand, evaluate, and confidently recommend.”