The 2026 China Travel AI Marketing White Paper, jointly released by TravelDaily and Islander, draws on nearly 3,000 user surveys and research from over 80 companies to reveal a “quiet revolution” now unfolding across the travel consumption journey: AI is rewriting the underlying logic of the travel industry.
More than 86% of respondents have already used AI for travel planning. AI is no longer a novelty, but is becoming a routine step for many travelers before they set off.
The entry points for travel information are also changing. When looking for travel tips and guides, 65.4% of users turn to social media, 59.51% use conversational AI, while traditional search engines have dropped to 43.39%.
This suggests that travel decision-making is moving away from the old linear path of “search, compare and book” toward a new journey of “content discovery, AI-generated planning and OTA verification.”
Even more notably, 64.2% of users now assume that the brand ranked first by AI is more reliable. AI has not taken over the transaction itself, but it is already shaping which brands users see first, trust first and are more likely to choose.
One core conclusion can be drawn from the white paper: AI is not just a tool upgrade, it is reconstructing three key links in the travel industry.
First, the user decision-making chain is being compressed. Travelers once had to search repeatedly for guides, compare hotels and read reviews. Now, a single natural-language request can generate a complete itinerary. For travel brands, failing to appear in AI-generated plans may mean losing the chance to be considered at all.
Second, the marketing distribution chain is shifting from SEO to GEO, or generative engine optimization. Travel marketing is no longer only about competing for keywords and platform visibility. It is increasingly about helping AI understand, trust and recommend a brand in the right context. Reliable information, consistent reputation, authoritative content and clear scenario-based positioning will become new long-term assets for travel companies.
Third, the transaction and fulfillment chain is being reallocated. In the past, OTAs served as both traffic gateways and transaction platforms. In the future, they may increasingly function as the service infrastructure behind AI, continuing to handle pricing, inventory, payment, after-sales support and fulfillment assurance. In other words, AI influences “who to buy from,” while OTAs complete “how to buy.” The center of competition in travel will therefore shift from simply fighting for traffic entrances to securing a place in AI-driven recommendations.
