Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed the clearest roadmap yet for the company’s shift toward AI-first search. At the heart of the announcement is AI Mode, Google’s new conversational experience, which is already live as a separate tab — a testing ground before its full integration into the main search interface.
Unlike traditional search, AI Mode transforms how users interact with information, enabling them to have dynamic, multi-step conversations. Travelers searching for “family-friendly tours in Costa Rica” will no longer see just a list of links. Instead, Google’s AI can respond to follow-up queries like “What about for kids under 8?” or “Which ones include wildlife viewing?”
“This is not just another AI Overview snippet. It’s a full conversational engine designed to mimic the experience of speaking with a personal travel agent,” explains Brennen Bliss, CEO of Propellic, AI-first digital marketing agency specializing in travel and tourism. “My prediction? This becomes the default search experience within 12 months — not the two to three years most people are assuming.”
The implications for the travel industry are significant. Most travel companies rely heavily on top-of-funnel content — blog posts, destination guides, and curated itineraries — to attract audiences and feed retargeting campaigns. AI Mode is set to disrupt that pipeline dramatically.
“Instead of users visiting ten different websites to compare options, they’ll now have one conversation with Google’s AI,” adds Bliss. “That means your content may no longer drive traffic. It may simply train the AI.”
Travel remains a complex and high-consideration purchase, requiring context, trust, and reassurance — all areas where conversational AI thrives. Unlike transactional products, travelers ask about weather conditions, age suitability, accessibility, and what to pack. AI Mode is designed precisely to support these layered discovery journeys.
However, one thing doesn’t change: users still need to book. While Google’s AI might recommend a sunset cruise in Santorini, it cannot (yet) complete a booking — though that may change as Project Mariner, Google’s next-gen commerce initiative, advances.
Mentions are the new clicks
In this new landscape, ranking #1 on Google is no longer the goal. What matters is being the brand that gets mentioned — and trusted — by the AI in response to user queries. In other words, mentions are the new clicks.
“Companies that optimize for traditional SEO alone will fall behind. The winners will be those who become part of AI’s ‘trusted memory’ — the brands it repeatedly references and recommends,” says Bliss.
Google is approaching the transition strategically. Rather than switching overnight, the company is gradually migrating features from AI Mode into the main search interface — but only once they’ve proven superior in terms of user engagement and ad monetization.
With nearly 80% of Alphabet’s revenue tied to search ads, Google cannot afford a drop in click-through rates unless AI conversations can be monetized at scale. Once that model is in place, full integration is expected to accelerate.
Travel brands that adapt now will be better positioned to gain early trust signals from the AI and remain visible in this new era of discovery. Those waiting for more clarity may find themselves playing catch-up while competitors are already mentioned in the AI’s responses.
The runway has already begun. For the travel sector, the time to act is now.
