AI Isn’t Taking Over Travel Bookings Just Yet, Says Expedia CEO

Artificial intelligence may be getting better at planning vacations, but when it comes to actually booking them, travellers aren’t quite ready to hand over the reins.

That’s the message from Expedia Group CEO Ariane Gorin, who says AI-powered travel agents are showing plenty of promise, but have yet to meaningfully change how consumers make reservations.

In an interview with CNBC on Thursday (Nov. 5), Gorin acknowledged that AI could eventually reshape the online travel industry, potentially challenging established booking platforms such as Expedia.

For now, however, the biggest impact appears to be happening during the research and planning stages.

“It’s a great way for people to do inspiration, to do trip planning,” Gorin told CNBC. “We haven’t seen it change the way they’re actually doing booking.”

AI Is Coming for Travel. But How Far Will It Go?

Gorin’s comments come as increasingly sophisticated AI agents promise to do more than simply answer questions.

Emerging tools, including Meta’s Muse and OpenAI’s Dots, are designed to take on everyday tasks, from scheduling appointments to shopping and organizing information.

Gorin told CNBC Expedia is “working with all of the agents” to ensure its products appear in AI-generated results, while also understanding how these platforms gather information and what integrations they might require.

It’s a strategy that reflects a changing competitive landscape. Rather than simply competing for visibility on traditional search engines, companies may increasingly need to ensure they’re discoverable through AI assistants.

This extends to human travel advisors. It was actually a key point that came up at Envoyage’s North American Summit in Jamaica last month.

“You need to be the human that AI is going to point to,” said Christina Pedroni, executive vice-president and general manager of Envoyage USA, in a presentation, which Travel Market Report Canada attended.

For advisors, that means ensuring their business is visible and recognizable across the internet so AI can find it.

Booking Is Where Things Get Complicated

But Gorin believes there’s a major distinction between helping someone plan a vacation and taking responsibility for making it happen.

Travel, after all, isn’t quite like ordering groceries.

Flights get cancelled. Hotel amenities don’t always match expectations. Reservations change. And when something goes wrong, travellers generally want someone accountable for fixing it.

“People were already shopping across a number of places, so the agent can do that in a much easier way,” Gorin said.

“But when it comes to actually booking — being confident that the content that you’re getting is right, the amenities are right, the price is right, if something goes wrong, someone’s going to actually either solve it for you, answer the phone, be there for you — I don’t think those agents are going to do it for you, and that’s why people trust Expedia and come to us.”

It’s an interesting argument, particularly for travel advisors.

While Gorin was speaking about Expedia’s own customer relationships, her comments touch on a familiar selling point for the traditional travel trade: planning a trip is one thing; having someone take responsibility when plans unravel is another.

AI may be able to compare hundreds of hotels in seconds, but speed doesn’t necessarily translate into accountability.

The question is whether platforms can also deliver the reliability, service and support that consumers expect once money changes hands.

Expedia Shares Slide Despite Strong Third Quarter

The discussion comes during a turbulent week for Expedia investors.

Shares of the company fell approximately 12 per cent on Thursday following the release of fourth-quarter financial guidance that disappointed Wall Street.

Expedia forecast revenue of between US$3.69 billion and US$3.75 billion for the final three months of 2026.