The AI-Driven Funnel: What Travel Marketers Need To Know Now

InnovationThe AI-Driven Funnel: What Travel Marketers Need To Know NowByKurt Weinsheimer,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)Jun 04, 2026, 08:30am EDTKurt Weinsheimer, General Manager, Properties, at Sojern. getty​Travelers are increasingly using generative AI applications to dream about their next trip. They’re fast, intuitive and often become the first stop along the path to purchase, shaking up how travelers discover brands and how traditional search marketing works. Even the big online travel agencies like Expedia and Booking.com are feeling the impact. As a result, travel marketers are scrambling to stay visible. A recent survey found that 64% of marketers say the biggest shift driven by AI search will be a decline in traditional search engine use. With OpenAI beginning to test ads within ChatGPT, it’s clear that traditional search strategies, and how brands show up in results, will continue to change.While search is top of mind for many travel brands, AI is disrupting the entire path to purchase. Travelers are using AI tools during the search and discovery process, new standards are enabling them to view rates and availability during the planning phase and soon, agentic AI will enable them to book using their own AI bot. Now more than ever, marketers must evolve their GEO and MCP strategies to stay at the top of travelers’ lists. Here’s how marketers can embrace the shift to capture traveler attention.Defining GEO And MCPWith the rise of AI tools comes two terms that are important for marketers to know: GEO and MCP. ​GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization, is like SEO for the AI era, and is a top-of-funnel strategy that helps to shortlist a property or activity based on traveler inputs. Instead of adjusting or creating website content to stay above the fold on a traditional results page, GEO is about ea...