OpenAI, ChatGPT’s parent company, switched on cost-per-click ads, an environment familiar to travel marketers who've long been tethered to Google's ad system. So far, Hotelrank.ai's co-founder observes that Booking.com alone accounts for 43.5% of U.S. hotel ad placements.
Whether ads help the LLM surface more variety could become a key question for companies like Pangea. This platform for digital nomads just acquired a startup for its "Place Genome," which maps traveler tastes, locations' vibes and social travel, as a counterpoint to chatbots like ChatGPT funneling everyone to the same highly-rated spots. Meanwhile, Hyatt pulled the AI platform further into its hotel operations with its own new ChatGPT Enterprise tools.
STRIPE + SKIFT
A new report from Skift and Stripe reveals how profitability hinges on innovative payment strategy, which is essential for driving guest experiences, revenues, and boosting operational efficiencies.
EDITOR’S PICKS
Inside the Rise of Bloom, a Tech-Led Hotel Platform in India
April 22, 2026
Bloom's insistence on profitability before scale runs counter to the growth-at-all-costs orthodoxy that defined the last decade of travel tech investment in India. As it enters a new phase of expansion, the company now faces the challenge of sustaining product and profit while scaling up.
New Guide: The Identity Gap Holding Back Travel Marketing Performance
April 21, 2026
Despite significant investment in marketing technology, most travel brands still cannot identify the majority of their audience. A new guide from Wunderkind argues that identity resolution is central to performance, helping brands drive more direct bookings and get more from existing channels.
SKIFT PODCAST NETWORK
In this clip from Good Morning Hospitality, a Skift Podcast: Hotels Edition, Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk break down Hyatt’s rollout of ChatGPT Enterprise across departments like marketing, finance, and customer experience.
Instead of focusing on flashy guest-facing tools, Hyatt is using AI behind the scenes to streamline operations and better use its data across more than 600 hotels.
Is AI actually changing how Asia books travel - or just adding cost? Agoda's CEO takes the stage at Skift Asia Forum in Bangkok, April 29. Register now.
SKIFT RESEARCH
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.
