The rise of autonomous AI agents could threaten the core business model of platforms like Booking.com and Expedia, which rely on charging hotels a commission for bookings.
Max Niederhofer, a partner at Heartcore Capital and an investor in travel startups like GetYourGuide, told the Financial Times, "Fundamentally, [OTAs] are parasitic... If [hotels] don’t have any commission to pay, that’s 20 or so per cent they can use to give [customers] other things like a better room. Online travel agents’ ‘take rates’ are at risk."
Some in the hotel industry see "clear potential" in AI agents to help reduce hotels' dependence on OTAs, a shift that could put long-term pressure on the platforms' margins. However, HOTREC, the European hotel industry group, also warned that the technology could create a new "dependency cycle." For now, the technology is still in its early stages.
