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PhocusWire's in-depth coverage of travel search, featuring news, analysis, interviews, research and more on Google, other search engines, strategies, executives and role in the market.

Cendyn launches Wayfinder to help hotels avoid "OTA 2.0"
News / Technology
Cendyn launches Wayfinder to help hotels avoid "OTA 2.0"
By Linda Fox | June 11, 2026
Wayfinder will help hotels gain, measure and boost visibility across AI platforms such as Gemini, ChatGPT and Perplexity. Read More
Hotel distribution pushes beyond traditional channels
News / Distribution
Hotel distribution pushes beyond traditional channels
By Cathy Walsh | June 10, 2026
Industry analysis from Shiji tracks the evolving distribution ecosystem, mapping new categories including AI-driven visibility and direct-booking platforms, map-based commerce and social messaging. Read More
Travel marketers prepare for the rise of AI agents
News / Technology
Travel marketers prepare for the rise of AI agents
By Morgan Hines | May 28, 2026
Executives from Expedia Group, OpenAI and The Trade Desk say travel marketers must adapt as AI agents become a bigger part of trip discovery and booking. Read More
Travel operators ramp up AI spending as search and discovery behaviors shift
News / Online
Travel operators ramp up AI spending as search and discovery behaviors shift
By Cathy Walsh | May 27, 2026
TravelTech Show research points to rising investment in AI and travel technology as operators adapt to changing customer search, discovery and booking patterns. Read More
3 key takeaways from Google I/O 2026
News / Technology
3 key takeaways from Google I/O 2026
By Matthew Parsons | May 21, 2026
New agentic AI features unveiled at Google I/O 2026 could reshape how travelers search, shop and book trips, increasing pressure on travel brands to become machine-readable and agent-accessible. Read More
Direct Ferries launches ChatGPT app for search, discovery
News / Technology
Direct Ferries launches ChatGPT app for search, discovery
By Morgan Hines | May 13, 2026
Bringing Direct Ferries into ChatGPT marks the next step in addressing the ferry segment’s fragmentation, according to CEO Niall Walsh. Read More
TikTok formalizes in-app travel bookings with Booking.com, Expedia, Trip.com among partners
News / Technology
TikTok formalizes in-app travel bookings with Booking.com, Expedia, Trip.com among partners
By Morgan Hines | May 12, 2026
TikTok GO brings in-app travel booking to 200 million U.S. users, compressing the path from video discovery to reservation. Read More
Expedia Group hits record Q1 profitability amid AI overhaul
News / Finance
Expedia Group hits record Q1 profitability amid AI overhaul
By Morgan Hines | May 7, 2026
CEO Ariane Gorin shared concrete examples of how AI has driven performance across the business. Read More
Trivago files antitrust suit against Google
News / Online
Trivago files antitrust suit against Google
By Morgan Hines | May 6, 2026
The company has raised concerns about Google’s use of its dominance in search to direct travelers away from other metasearch platforms. Read More
The Weather Company, Steller partner for travel discovery on weather.com
News / Technology
The Weather Company, Steller partner for travel discovery on weather.com
By Morgan Hines | May 6, 2026
The collaboration combines Weather Company’s scale and data with Steller’s creator-led travel video. Read More
PhocusWire's travel tech news briefs: Kayak, Roomex, Fareportal and more...
News / Technology
PhocusWire's travel tech news briefs: Kayak, Roomex, Fareportal and more...
By PhocusWire | May 1, 2026
Keep up with all the latest people, partner and product news from around the global travel industry. Read More
Ixigo launches three ChatGPT apps
News / Technology
Ixigo launches three ChatGPT apps
By Cathy Walsh | April 30, 2026
The India-based online travel company has added ChatGPT apps across ixigo, AbhiBus and ConfirmTkt, allowing users to search and compare travel options in a conversational interface. Read More
Hilton to bring app to more AI platforms
News / Distribution
Hilton to bring app to more AI platforms
By Linda Fox | April 29, 2026
Hilton unveiled an Anthropic-powered AI trip planner in March. Read More
Tripadvisor, Viator expand AI partnerships with Claude, Alexa+
News / Technology
Tripadvisor, Viator expand AI partnerships with Claude, Alexa+
By Morgan Hines | April 23, 2026
Tripadvisor and Viator are expanding their AI efforts to support travel planning in Claude and Alexa+. Read More
Hotels risk invisibility as AI reshapes travel discovery
News / Technology
Hotels risk invisibility as AI reshapes travel discovery
By Cathy Walsh | April 23, 2026
Research points to a gap in hotel AI visibility, driven by fragmented data, thin content and inconsistent signals across the web. Read More
The Phocuswright Conference 2026