The Tourism AI Podcast

#29 - OTAs vs. Search Engines: How AI Discovery Is Changing Tourism


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How are travellers really finding hotels in 2025? According to SiteMinder's latest report, OTAs have officially overtaken search engines as the #1 discovery channel, and AI-powered discovery jumped from 4% to 18% in just one year. In this episode, we break down what this seismic shift means for DMOs, hotels, and tourism marketers.


Peter, Kendel, and new TAIN team member Matthew Dias discuss whether SEO budgets still matter, how DMOs can reclaim their position as the "ultimate source of truth," and why generational differences in travel planning are reshaping the industry. Plus: rapid-fire hype meter on Canada's $1B AI investment, Google's Nano Banana Pro image generator, Claude's Excel integration, and why Grok thinks Elon Musk could beat LeBron James in a fitness contest.

#AIinTourism #DMO #TravelTech #HospitalityMarketing #OTA #TourismAI #AIDiscovery #SearchEngineOptimization

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The Tourism AI PodcastBy Tourism AI Network