AI, Loyalty and Conscious Travel

The transition—from traditional SEO (search engine optimisation) to GEO (generative engine optimisation)—will reshape how travellers discover, evaluate and book their journeys.

As AI systems increasingly provide one reliable, explainable recommendation, success for travel providers will depend on data quality, transparency and relevance. Those who fail to master these elements risk losing their customer relationships to the AI platforms that mediate the entire journey.

AI now influences every stage of travel planning, from inspiration to repeat behaviour.

Inspiration and Comparison

Instead of browsing dozens of sites, travellers can ask an AI assistant for a tailored shortlist based on personal priorities—price, duration, sustainability, convenience or even preferred travel times. AI curates and ranks options instantly.

Booking and On-Trip Support

AI agents will increasingly handle booking across flights, hotels and local transport. They will manage disruptions, handle changes automatically and deliver proactive support during the trip.

Repeat Behaviour

After the journey, AI remains in contact, learning preferences and encouraging repeat bookings through personalised recommendations and timely nudges.

Across all stages, trust becomes the cornerstone. Travellers must know the information is accurate, unbiased and transparent. This creates three critical requirements:

• Transparency: Clear and verifiable data on pricing, terms, availability and environmental impact.
• Governance & explainability: AI decisions must be understandable and accountable.
• High-quality data: Poor or inconsistent data—or unsubstantiated sustainability claims—can damage reputation or reduce visibility in AI-driven rankings.

Demand for more sustainable travel continues to rise, but a wide gap remains between stated intentions and actual behaviour. Most travellers want to reduce their footprint, yet they still choose based on price and convenience.

AI can narrow this intention–behaviour gap by:

Making Alternatives Visible

Door-to-door rail, bus or multimodal options can be surfaced automatically, rather than defaulting to flights.

Presenting Balanced “Best Overall” Choices

Instead of pushing the cheapest fare, AI can show optimised combinations of price, duration and CO₂ emissions as the default.

Behavioural Nudges

Through subtle framing, highlighting greener options or surfacing sustainable accommodation, AI can encourage more conscious decisions without compromising convenience.

For this to work, sustainability data must be verified and trustworthy, and the environmental footprint of AI systems themselves must be actively managed to avoid shifting the problem elsewhere.

Loyalty in travel is evolving beyond points, perks and discounts. It now rests on four interconnected pillars:

1. Brand Loyalty and Experience

A strong emotional connection and consistent brand experience foster repeat behaviour. Travellers return to brands they trust and feel they understand.

2. Transparency and Reliability

Clear pricing, honest CO₂ information and accurate availability build confidence and reduce friction.

3. Ease of Use and Service

Frictionless flows, fast support and readily available human assistance drive repeat engagement. AI-powered search and proactive service enhance this ease dramatically.

4. Relevance and Personalisation

Using first-party data responsibly, providers can deliver targeted offers, tailored itineraries and timely communication that matter to the individual.

AI amplifies these loyalty drivers by enabling personalisation at scale, powering modern loyalty programmes that reward sustainable choices and improving customer experience through intelligent support.

The payoff: higher retention, greater spend per traveller and fewer cancellations.

Agentic AI systems, which act on behalf of users, represent both a risk and a transformative opportunity for the travel industry. To remain visible and competitive, travel providers must:

Adopt AI Strategically

Not just as an efficiency tool, but as:

• A guide to conscious choices that balances price, time and emissions.
• A driver of loyalty, built on personalisation and trust.
• A lever for end-to-end experience optimisation.

Invest in Data Quality and Transparency

Ensuring:

• Granular, accurate data on price, availability and emissions.
• Governance frameworks and explainable AI models.
• Honest, verifiable sustainability information.

Redesign Loyalty Around Long-Term Value

This includes:

• Emotional connection and consistent brand experience.
• Clear, understandable benefits and conditions.
• Reward structures that promote greener behaviour and long-term engagement.

Travel providers that delay risk becoming invisible in AI-mediated journeys as assistants favour partners with cleaner data, clearer sustainability profiles and stronger customer-centric design.

The travel industry is shifting from SEO to GEO, as AI-driven conversations replace traditional search-and-click journeys and become the primary interface for planning. In this landscape, data quality and transparency determine visibility, leaving providers with poor or inconsistent information at risk of irrelevance. Since AI now spans the entire customer journey, trust, governance and high-quality data become essential foundations. At the same time, conscious travel is moving from intention to requirement, with AI nudging travellers toward greener choices by default.

Loyalty is also being redefined—moving beyond discounts toward trust, relevance, emotional connection and seamless experiences, all strengthened by AI personalisation. As agentic AI increasingly controls access to travellers, providers must integrate deeply with these systems or risk disintermediation. The message is clear: strategic action is urgent, and those who invest now in AI capabilities, loyalty innovation and verifiable sustainability will win tomorrow’s traveller.