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Marriott and Wyndham's agentic AI initiatives with the LLMs put Booking Holdings' shares into freefall for awhile last week. Never mind that hotel chains account for only around a low-double-digit percentage of Booking's total room nights, which is significant nonetheless.

Either the market doesn't understand the relative importance of independent hotels, as one financial analyst argued, or the street feels that independent hotels could mimic the chains and thereby distintermediate Booking and other OTAs.

Was it an overreaction or a reality check?

EDITOR’S PICKS

Airbnb Lets Asia Pacific Guests Book Without Paying Upfront: Here’s How It Works

by Peden Doma Bhutia
February 25, 2026

Although the rollout spans most major Asia-Pacific markets, travelers in India still won’t see the feature yet, a notable exclusion given the country’s size and growing outbound travel demand.

Kayak’s New Ad Campaign Signals a Marketing Dilemma as AI Grabs Share

by Dennis Schaal
February 24, 2026

Booking Holdings sees AI as the future of travel. Its Kayak brand's marketing doesn't touch on AI, but is trying to convince Millennials it's OK to book on smartphones and to use Kayak to navigate social media distractions.

Airbnb Is Testing Airport Pickups. Are Flights Next?

by Dennis Schaal
February 23, 2026

Airbnb likely sees how flights are driving Booking Holdings' connected-trip vision. The timing is unclear, but it needs flights if it wants to be a true "travel concierge."

Wyndham and Marriott’s Agentic Plans Put Pressure on Booking. Are the Concerns Justified?

by Dennis Schaal
February 20, 2026

Booking Holdings could survive hotel chains switching allegiances to the LLMs. But how long would it take for independent hotels to likewise jump ship?

What Expedia Says About the Coming Agentic Travel Fight

by Adriana Lee
February 20, 2026

Expedia's annual filing now treats AI agents as a major threat, not just a competitive pressure. The company is betting that direct engagement can keep it from becoming an invisible backend.

Tripadvisor CEO Issued Confidential Memo to Employees on ‘Challenging’ Month: Scoop

by Dennis Schaal
February 19, 2026

There are conflicting messages at Tripadvisor these days. Goldberg told employees that it "will take time" for its 3-month-old strategy revamp "to show up in the numbers." Meanwhile, activist investor Starboard Value argued "the time for incrementalism is over."

SKIFT PODCAST NETWORK

If AI becomes the front door to travel, who wins and who pays?

I sat down with Wil Slickers for a sharp, no-fluff breakdown of the biggest takeaways from Skift Global Forum, including the question everyone is asking: is ChatGPT a paid marketing channel yet, or just the start of a new distribution shift?

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Skift Data + AI Summit on June 3, 2026 In New York City

SKIFT RESEARCH | DATA

Market Performance

How are public travel tech companies performing around the world? The Skift Travel 200 pulls the data you need to know to understand the market. Paid subscribers get full access here.

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