Expedia’s Explore 2026 Kicks Off with Focus on AI and the Future of Travel Experiences

High-tech, immersive and ambitious: the tone was officially set for Expedia Group’s Explore 2026. At the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, the annual event opened with a keynote panel featuring several of the company’s top executives. TMR Canada was on site to cover the event.

A trip down memory lane

The conference kicked off with a trip back in time with the sound of a fax machine blaring in the background, a clever nod to the travel industry’s constant evolution.

The opening session featured a high-profile discussion with panelists including Expedia Group CEO Ariane Gorin and President, B2B & Chief Commercial Officer Alfonso Paredes.

From the very first minutes, the message was clear: artificial intelligence is no longer simply an innovation project for Expedia Group — it’s a long-term strategic transformation of the travel experience. According to the executives on stage, the goal now is to build a more seamless, connected and personalized ecosystem for travellers, travel advisors and industry partners alike.

A conference focused on the future

The discussion, which officially opened the day of keynotes and panels at Explore 2026, highlighted the company’s vision for growth and innovation as Expedia celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

AI as a strategic priority

The core of the conference is focused on the group’s AI strategy, presented around three main pillars.

The first centres on integrating AI directly into Expedia’s products, notably through natural language search, conversational agents and new personalized experiences. Expedia also highlighted several pilot projects already deployed on platforms such as Hotels.com and Vrbo.

The second pillar focuses on the presence of Expedia brands within new AI-powered answer engines. The company wants to ensure its brands and products appear organically within users’ conversational experiences.

Although only a small percentage of traffic currently comes from these “answer engines,” Expedia believes this growth could accelerate rapidly over the next few years. “Our products are diverse to support personalization and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach for our partners,” explained Mindy Reese, VP Commercial Partnerships.

The third pillar centres on the internal use of AI to improve operations, customer service, personalized experiences and partner tools. “Our mission is to make integration as seamless as possible — through fast onboarding and partner tools — in order to increase both the volume and quality of product offerings, whether that means room types, rate categories or flexibility, while also improving visibility across the travel advisor network,” said AI specialist Chris Hodges.

Focusing on a more seamless experience

One of the most discussed themes during the conference was Expedia’s desire to reduce friction between travel inspiration and booking. The company noted that more travellers are discovering destinations through social media content. Expedia wants to convert that inspiration into bookings more efficiently through conversational tools integrated directly into social platforms. Collaborations with Meta and TikTok were mentioned during the presentation.

Expedia also shared its vision for a more connected hotel ecosystem for travel advisors. “With an inventory of nearly 700,000 hotels and 3.5 million accommodation units, the company aims to better match travellers’ needs with the right products. The growth of experiential tourism particularly around sports, culture and gastronomy is also opening the door to more personalized packages combining accommodations and local experiences,” explained Steve Quan, SVP Hotel Enterprise Partnerships.

Major announcements and partnerships

Several partnerships and announcements were also unveiled during the conference. Expedia confirmed a new integration with Uber that will allow travellers to access benefits directly through the group’s app. The launch is scheduled for June in the United States, ahead of a potential international rollout.

A partnership with CLEAR was also introduced to provide a smoother airport experience through Clear Plus and Clear Concierge services. Expedia’s objective is clear: to move beyond its traditional role as a booking platform and become a fully connected travel ecosystem.

Travel advisors remain essential

Even with this strong technological focus, Expedia made a point of emphasizing that travel advisors remain an important part of its strategy. Executives confirmed ongoing investments in the TAAP platform designed for agencies and advisors, with the goal of simplifying sales, service and customer support.

The group also stressed the importance of human service in complex or urgent situations, stating that technology should support, not replace, the customer experience.