Travel Brands Battle for Visibility in AI Search

New research highlights which major travel companies dominate AI-generated holiday trip recommendations.

Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Travel — General

Gouache-painted illustration of an open vintage suitcase with a brass compass, representing holiday travel planning in the digital age. — Major travel brands like Marriott and Expedia are competing for prominence in AI-driven holiday search results, according to new research. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you trust AI-generated search results to guide your holiday travel planning decisions?

BrightEdge released a report examining how major travel brands appear in AI-driven holiday search results. Marriott, Hilton, Expedia, and American Airlines emerged as top performers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews.

Why it matters

As travelers increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to plan their trips, brand visibility in AI-generated search results has become a critical factor for success in the competitive holiday travel industry.

Expedia secured a 31.3% appearance rate in Google AI Overviews, while Marriott achieved a 29.4% presence in ChatGPT holiday travel responses. Meanwhile, Hilton maintained high visibility with a 28.3% share in Google AI Overviews.

The players

BrightEdge

BrightEdge is a search engine optimization and digital marketing platform based in San Mateo, California.

Expedia

Expedia is a major global online travel agency that provides booking services for hotels, flights, and rental cars.

Marriott

Marriott is a large multinational hospitality company that manages and franchises a broad portfolio of hotels and lodging facilities.

Hilton

Hilton is a prominent hospitality enterprise that owns and operates a wide range of hotel brands worldwide.

American Airlines

American Airlines is a major commercial carrier that provides extensive air travel services across domestic and international routes.

The details

The study analyzed brand appearances across both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews for holiday-related travel queries. Brands like Expedia capitalized on this trend by implementing dedicated landing pages specifically tailored for Thanksgiving and Christmas travel deals.

October 21, 2026: BrightEdge released its research on holiday travel AI search visibility.

Travel Outlook

This visibility analysis reflects the broader shift in how travelers approach the planning phase of their holiday trips. As search patterns move away from traditional engines toward AI-integrated responses, the industry is recalibrating its digital strategy to ensure placement in these new interfaces.

Consumers should be aware that the holiday travel recommendations they receive from AI tools are heavily influenced by which brands have optimized their content for these platforms. Checking multiple search sources can help travelers find a broader range of deal options beyond those highlighted in the top AI responses.

The takeaway

Travelers should verify AI-generated suggestions against traditional booking engines to ensure they are getting the best holiday deals. Relying solely on AI results may prioritize companies with the strongest search optimization rather than the lowest prices.