Google 's AI Mode to transform travel search
Google is moving closer to making AI-first search the default experience – and travel brands must respond now or risk becoming irrelevant. At the core of this shift is AI Mode, a conversational interface that is already live in a separate tab and poised for full integration into Google's main search engine within the next 12 months.
Unveiled by Google CEO Sundar Pichai, AI Mode enables dynamic, multi-turn conversations. Instead of presenting a list of links, it delivers personalized, contextual responses – for example, refining results based on follow-up questions like 'Which family tours in Costa Rica are best for kids under 8?' or 'Do they include wildlife experiences?'
'This goes far beyond AI Overview snippets,' says Brennen Bliss, CEO of Propellic, a digital agency specializing in AI-driven strategies for travel brands. 'It's the equivalent of speaking to a personal travel advisor. And it's going to redefine search faster than most anticipate.'
The end of top-of-funnel dominance?
For years, travel companies have built their marketing around top-of-funnel content such as blogs, guides, and itineraries. These assets fueled SEO rankings, website traffic, and retargeting. AI Mode threatens to upend this model by keeping users within Google's ecosystem through continuous conversation.
'Users won't need to visit multiple websites to compare experiences,' Bliss notes. 'Instead, they'll consult Google's AI, which may surface your brand – or not. In this new model, your content might not drive traffic at all; it may simply train the AI.'
Despite the shift, key decisions in travel still require context and trust – areas where conversational AI excels. Users often ask about accessibility, age-appropriateness, weather, or what to pack. AI Mode is tailored for such nuanced journeys. And while the AI may recommend a product – such as a sunset cruise in Santorini – it still cannot complete the booking (yet), though Google's commerce-focused Project Mariner may soon change that.
Mentions replace clicks-
The industry's focus must now shift from rankings to relevance. 'The goal is no longer to rank #1 – it's to be mentioned and trusted by Google's AI,' explains Bliss. 'Mentions are the new clicks.' For travel brands, this means adapting content and brand positioning to become part of the AI's trusted memory – the internal database of reliable, high-quality references the model repeatedly recommends.
Google's cautious but inevitable rollout
To mitigate risks to its ad business – which still accounts for nearly 80% of Alphabet's revenue – Google is integrating AI Mode features gradually, only when they show better engagement and monetization. Once the business case is proven, full-scale deployment will accelerate. 'Brands waiting for clarity may be left behind,' warns Bliss. 'Those acting now have a window to establish trust, fine-tune messaging for AI consumption, and position themselves for long-term visibility.'
A clear call to action for travel marketers
With over 15 million global travel queries per day on Google, the shift to conversational search is already underway. For travel and tourism brands, the priority is clear: adapt strategies, audit content for conversational relevance, and optimize for trust and AI visibility – or risk fading from the discovery journey altogether.
In the age of AI-first search, discovery doesn't begin with a click – it begins with a mention.
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