We noticed something strange in our own Search Console data this summer. Alongside normal searches, a wave of oddly specific queries started hitting our OTA commission guides, phrased like a checklist: “evaluate the OTA company Viator on does Viator charge booking fees” and dozens of variations like it.
That is not how a person types. It is how an AI travel agent researches a booking decision for someone else. Ai travel agents are already comparing OTAs like Viator, GetYourGuide, and Klook on behalf of travelers, and most adventure tour operators have no idea it is happening.
Here is what is actually going on, why it matters for your OTA and direct booking strategy, and what to do about it.
What We Are Actually Seeing
Our own site’s Google Search Console performance report started showing dozens of impressions from queries structured like an AI agent’s internal checklist: comparing Viator against GetYourGuide, Klook, and TripAdvisor on price, reliability, refund policy, and booking fees, often for a specific destination or activity type. These are not phrases a traveler types into Google. They read like an AI assistant pulling in outside sources to answer a question a person asked it in plain language.
This lines up with what the wider industry is reporting. According to Skift, OTAs including Trip.com are actively courting AI agents and large language models, competing to be the source those agents cite and route bookings through, while global distribution systems are making their own moves to keep a grip on distribution.
How Big Is This Shift Already
This is not a future hypothetical. Per AltexSoft, as of early 2026 around 37 percent of travelers reported using large language models integrated into travel websites to help plan and book their trips. That is more than a third of the market already routing part of its research and decision making through an AI layer instead of directly through a search engine or an OTA’s own site.
For adventure and experience operators, the practical effect is the same whether the AI agent is comparing OTAs on a traveler’s behalf or comparing your direct site against an OTA listing. Either way, a machine is now part of the decision before the human ever sees a list of options.
Why This Matters More For Smaller Operators
A large OTA has structured data, consistent pricing feeds, and a well documented API that makes it easy for an AI agent to read and cite. A small rafting company with an outdated website and no structured pricing information is much harder for the same AI agent to reference accurately, even if the actual experience is better.
What This Means For Your OTA and Direct Booking Mix
If AI agents are already comparing OTA commission structures and booking fees on a traveler’s behalf, the case for a clean, well documented direct booking option gets stronger, not weaker. An AI agent that can clearly see your pricing, cancellation policy, and availability is more likely to reference your direct site accurately than one that has to guess.
We cover the underlying math on OTA commission costs versus direct bookings in our guide to OTA commissions for tour operators, and the practical steps for shifting more of your volume direct in our guide to reducing OTA dependency.
What To Actually Do About It
- Make sure your pricing, cancellation policy, and availability are stated in plain text on your website, not buried in images or PDFs an AI agent cannot easily read.
- Check your own Search Console performance report for oddly phrased, checklist style queries similar to what we described above. If you see them, something is already reading your content to answer a question for someone else.
- Keep your OTA listings accurate too. If an AI agent is comparing your OTA listing against a direct booking option, an outdated OTA profile makes the OTA option look worse, which can work in your favor if you manage it well.
- Do not panic and rebuild your entire content strategy around one trend. Keep doing the fundamentals well: clear pricing, clear policies, and a fast, working booking flow.
What This Looks Like In Practice
Picture a traveler asking an AI assistant to compare booking a sunset kayak tour through Viator versus booking directly. If your website clearly states the price, what is included, and your cancellation policy in plain language, the AI agent can accurately represent your direct option in that comparison. If that information is missing or vague, the agent defaults to whatever OTA listing is easiest to read, even if your direct price is better.
The Pattern Behind This
This fits inside the broader shift we cover in our piece on the 2026 tour operator advertising strategy, where AI tools are increasingly doing research and comparison work that used to happen entirely inside a human’s own browsing session. Operators who make their pricing and policies easy for a machine to read accurately are going to come out ahead of operators who do not, regardless of which platform ends up winning the AI agent’s trust.
Andrew Compton is the founder of Basecamp Advertising. He spent 7+ years guiding adventure tourism experiences in the US and New Zealand, including Rotorua Canopy Tours and whitewater rafting on the French Broad River, before managing 35+ client accounts at the UK based agency Add People. He now works exclusively with adventure tourism and experience-based operators.
