Some hotel industry leaders see clear potential in AI agents to reduce reliance on OTAs

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.