AI-driven travel discovery pushes hotels toward GEO strategies
Dhaka: The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping how travelers discover hotels online, prompting industry experts to call on hotel marketers to adjust their strategies to remain visible in an AI-driven search environment.
Recent data from hospitality websites show two clear trends. Traffic referred from AI platforms such as ChatGPT has been steadily increasing since late 2024, while traditional organic traffic from search engines has declined over the same period.
Although AI-generated traffic still represents a relatively small portion of total visits, the growth has been striking. Industry analyses reported increases of up to 1,700% in AI-referred traffic to travel websites between mid-2024 and early 2025.
At the same time, organic traffic to hotel websites has been decreasing. Analysts attribute this to the growing prevalence of “zero-click searches,” where users obtain answers directly on search results pages rather than clicking through to external websites.
Recent studies estimate that around 60% to 70% of searches in 2025 end without a click. On mobile devices, the rate is even higher, often exceeding 75%. AI assistants that generate direct responses have further accelerated this shift.
The changing search landscape has given rise to a new marketing discipline known as Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO. Unlike traditional search engine optimization (SEO), which focuses on rankings in link-based results, GEO focuses on ensuring hotels appear in AI-generated answers and recommendations.
For instance, a traveler may ask an AI assistant for family-friendly hotels near a popular attraction that include breakfast. In such cases, hotels must appear in the AI’s suggested options rather than relying solely on conventional search results.
Experts note that large language models powering AI assistants draw information from a wide range of sources beyond hotel websites. These include review platforms like TripAdvisor and Google Reviews, as well as local directories, news articles, social media discussions, and online forums such as Reddit.
As a result, reputation management and third-party mentions are becoming increasingly important in determining whether a hotel appears in AI responses. Strong guest reviews and consistent online information can significantly influence how AI systems evaluate and recommend properties.
Despite the shift toward AI discovery, industry specialists emphasize that GEO should complement rather than replace traditional SEO strategies. Fast websites, relevant content, structured data, and consistent branding remain critical for maintaining visibility as both search engines and AI platforms continue to evolve.
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