Travel Brands Eye ChatGPT: A Shift from Keywords to Conversations?

• Travel marketers are considering allocating budget to ChatGPT as AI assistants become monetizable ad platforms, potentially impacting Google Search.
• Industry experts like Santosh Hegde (Atlys) view AI as a 'concierge' layer, an answer engine that solves problems immediately, unlike Google's link catalog.
• The shift is from bidding for keywords on Google to competing for 'citation' on AI platforms, requiring robust structural data to be recognized as a definitive source.
• Manmeet Ahluwalia (EaseMyTrip) sees conversational AI expanding the planning layer, offering personalized suggestions and complete itineraries beyond transactional search ads.
• Ravi Karothiya (Yatra Online) believes AI operates across the full funnel, from inspiration to booking, with conversational commerce enabling seamless booking and post-booking services.