Spotnana brings multi-agent AI to travel servicing
Spotnana has launched a multi-agent AI architecture on its travel platform, pairing specialized AI agents with its APIs to automate deterministic workflows, and is rolling out an open, customizable system that partners can build on; the initial release targets travel agents with tools including an AI agent for routine servicing tasks (like flight-change cancellations, unticketed segment validation, and refunds), an agent that automatically imports externally booked trips, an AI co-pilot offering suggested responses and conversation summaries, and AI-driven analytics on servicing performance — with additional AI capabilities for travelers and travel managers planned later in 2026, and early adopter Direct Travel citing the tools’ ability to free up advisors for higher-value, complex customer interactions.
OTAs’ growth story is really a hotel story
According to Phocuswright Research’s report, U.S. Online Travel Agency Market Essentials 2026, only 13% of airlines’ online passenger revenue flows through online travel agencies, as travelers increasingly book directly on airline sites and airlines use limited capacity and higher fares to keep shoppers on their own platforms. While headline figures look healthy — U.S. OTA gross bookings grew 4% in 2025 to $100.3 billion, with OTAs’ share of total U.S. travel bookings projected to climb from one-fifth today to 21% by 2028 — air’s share of OTA bookings has actually fallen to just 20%.
The report finds that hotels, not the OTA model broadly, are driving that growth: hotel bookings make up 63% of OTA gross bookings, even as hotel revenue growth itself is slowing. That concentration leaves OTAs exposed, since a hotel slowdown can’t be offset by air, which airlines have largely reclaimed, and would instead depend on smaller, less-proven categories like packaged trips, cruises and activities. Phocuswright’s full report extends its market sizing through 2029 and also examines how AI, B2B expansion and packaging investment are shaping growth across the sector.
Mindtrip launches tool to help destinations win the AI answer wars
Mindtrip has launched Answer Intelligence, a new tool aimed at destination marketing organizations (DMOs) that reveals what travelers are actually asking AI assistants and helps destinations create content optimized for AI discovery, addressing a shift the company says is urgent given unpublished research it cited from MMGY Travel Intelligence, Sabre and Sojern showing 70% of DMOs have experienced AI-driven declines in organic search traffic; drawing on millions of traveler conversations from Mindtrip.ai and its DMO customers, the tool identifies content gaps, generates AI-assisted recommendations to fill them, and surfaces regional travel trends so destinations can benchmark themselves against other markets — a need underscored by a recent Obvlo audit that gave DMOs an AI-readiness score of just 38 out of 100.
