Diogo Canteras, Founding Partner - HotelInvest

The travel industry is on the threshold of a new era. Many people are already adopting ChatGPT and other Generative Artificial Intelligence tools to organize their trips, choose destinations, create itineraries, and compare options. What seemed futuristic not long ago is becoming part of the standard research and booking process.

The impact of this shift is likely to be profound, especially in the hotel reservations segment. Today, between 20% and 50% of a hotel's room revenue goes through OTAs, which charge commissions of between 15% and 30% of the daily rate. This means that, on average, about 5% of a business hotel's room revenue goes to OTAs, while at leisure hotels this percentage is even higher. In tourist destinations, where dependence on online channels is greater and customers seek convenience and comparison, it is reasonable to estimate that between 8% and 12% of room revenue is absorbed by these platforms.

The entry of Generative Artificial Intelligence into this ecosystem opens the possibility of significantly changing this situation. By integrating personalized suggestions, instant recommendations, and even completed reservations within the conversational environment itself, AI can reduce the intermediation of OTAs. For hotels, this means the chance to retain a larger portion of their revenue by eliminating some commissions. For OTAs, it represents the need to rethink their role and business model.

The future scenario points to a battle for the traveler's "front door." While OTAs have dominated this role until now, AI agents will likely take over, offering users the convenience of resolving everything in a single interaction. Hotels that can better structure their information, provide real-time inventory, and invest in direct visibility within these platforms can gain a competitive advantage, strengthening the direct channel. OTAs, on the other hand, will need to accelerate the integration of their own AI solutions, offer more complete experiences—combining accommodations with flights, transfers, and experiences—and reinforce their value proposition in services such as security, customer support, and reliability.

The impact will not be uniform. Independent hotels, which rely more on visibility, may suffer if they fail to position themselves in the new AI environments. Large chains, on the other hand, tend to benefit, whether through brand strength or their ability to invest in technology. The truth is that the transition has already begun, and those who understand the dynamics of this change will have the opportunity to capture value at a time when the hospitality industry is undergoing one of the greatest transformations in its history.