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OpenAI’s recent pivot away from its Instant Checkout feature proves that travel is too complex for a quick-fix AI integration. While ChatGPT excels at trip discovery, the messy reality of pricing volatility, cancellations, and payment risks has validated the enduring value of OTAs and traditional travel intermediaries.

AI agents are evolving from chatbots to autonomous travel planners, threatening the traditional OTA business model. As tools like Claude and ChatGPT handle complex itineraries and direct bookings, travel middlemen face an existential crisis. To survive, they must pivot from simple aggregation to offering exclusive inventory and premium human service.

As AI reshapes travel discovery in 2026, mid-sized property managers face a critical turning point. While OTAs still dominate, AI assistants are driving a new wave of direct traffic. Discover actionable strategies, revenue models, and technical steps to optimise your direct booking channels for the AI-first travel era.

AI is helping property managers move faster, but is it actually making them smarter? CEO of BOOM, Shahar Goldboim explores why most STR operators are accelerating the same old operating model and what really changes when systems take responsibility for outcomes instead of just assisting tasks.