Over the past few months, I’ve spent a lot of time looking at how travelers are discovering and booking hotels — especially as new AI tools start to reshape the entire journey.

Out of the many reports I’ve read, two really stood out.

Not because they introduced entirely new ideas, but because they crystallized what’s actually happening right now: that the continued dominance of video-first discovery — especially on platforms like YouTube — is being amplified by AI, and it’s quietly changing the rules of hotel marketing.

The first piece comes from @WhiteSky Hospitality, and it digs into how YouTube is influencing booking decisions. The second is a Cloudbeds x Phocuswright report that looks at how generative AI is already affecting hotel search visibility — and what kind of content gets rewarded.

Together, they point to a big shift that many hotels haven’t fully adapted to yet:

Video continues to be the front door for hotel discovery. And AI is unlocking that door faster than ever.

Here’s a closer look at what I took away — and why I think this matters more now than ever.

YouTube: Where the Booking Journey Actually Begins

Let’s start with WhiteSky’s article. If you’re in hotel or destination marketing, I highly recommend reading the full piece — it’s here. But here’s the key idea that jumped out at me:

“YouTube is not just a place for entertainment; it has become a pivotal platform where travel dreams take shape.” — WhiteSky Hospitality

The article makes a strong case that YouTube isn’t just inspiring travel — it’s driving decisions.

And this isn’t just about Gen Z. Travelers across age groups are turning to YouTube when planning trips. And often, those videos are the first real impression they get of a hotel. In some cases, it’s also the last one — before they book.

This matches what I’ve seen firsthand: travelers type in things like:

• “Best kid-friendly resorts in Tulum with swim-up suites”
• “Actual view from the Four Seasons Bali oceanfront villa”
• “Hotel with rooftop pool and coworking in Medellín”
• “Is the breakfast at Rosewood Bangkok worth it?”
• “Quiet boutique hotels near Tokyo Station with luggage service”

And YouTube delivers video walk-throughs, drone views, user reviews, and influencer content — not necessarily what the hotel itself produced. To note is that all things being even, Google gives search priority to the hotel brand itself.

If you’re not showing up in that moment, someone else is. And they may not be telling the story you want.

AI Search Engines Are Watching — And Video Helps You Rank

Now let’s talk about the Cloudbeds x Phocuswright study.

This one’s a little more technical, but it’s incredibly important. The core takeaway is this: AI-driven platforms are using visual content as a signal of quality, trust, and relevance.

From the report:

“Across all property types, hotels with high-quality photos and videos saw significantly better engagement and click-through rates in AI-generated search results.” — Cloudbeds x Phocuswright

That’s not just a nice-to-have. It means the content you publish — especially video — is affecting how often and where your hotel gets recommended by the next generation of search tools.

And the quote that really stuck with me came from Adam Harris, the CEO and co-founder of Cloudbeds:

“The future of hospitality marketing will be dictated by how well properties adapt to how travelers actually search and book.” — Adam Harris, Cloudbeds

Search is changing. Visibility is changing. And video is becoming the language AI understands best.

The Old Funnel Is Breaking. Here’s What’s Replacing It.

We used to think about the traveler journey like this:

1. Awareness (ads, social, PR)
2. Consideration (website, reviews, OTA listings)
3. Booking

But today, that’s collapsing. One well-placed video on YouTube — or even a smart AI-generated trip plan — can take someone from inspiration to decision in a single session.

The funnel isn’t just faster — it’s flatter.

And in this new world, the hotels showing up early — with relevant, engaging, well-optimized video content — are winning.

What Smart Hotels Are Doing Differently

A lot of hotels already have great video footage — but they’re not always using it to its full potential. What I’m seeing now from leading hotel and destination marketers is a shift toward building flexible, modular video systems, not just standalone promos.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Turning one brand video into multiple short-form clips
• Creating different versions for families, solo travelers, or luxury seekers
• Localizing video for key markets without reshooting
• Adding captions, metadata, and titles to improve search performance
• Repurposing existing b-roll or photo assets into GenAI-enhanced videos

None of this requires huge production budgets anymore. The tools now exist to make your current content work harder, faster, and smarter — and to distribute it across YouTube, Meta, TikTok, OTAs, and even AI trip planners.

It’s not about creating more content. It’s about creating the right content, and making sure it’s discoverable when it matters most.

If You’re in Hotel Marketing, Here’s What I’d Be Thinking About

If I were managing a hotel or destination marketing team right now, these are the questions I’d be asking:

• Are we showing up on YouTube when people search for us — or our competitors?
• Do we have video content tailored to real search behavior and traveler questions?
• How do our visuals perform on OTAs — and how can we improve that without a reshoot?
• Can we repurpose what we already have into a full, AI-ready content funnel?

The good news is, you probably already have most of what you need. It’s just about organizing and optimizing it — and yes, tools like GenAI are making that faster and more scalable than ever.

The Missing Link

One of the startups I’ve been closely involved with — Destinate — was built specifically for this moment.

Destinate is one of the first companies in the travel space using GenAI to bridge the gap between content libraries and performance marketing — helping hotels, resorts, and tourism brands transform existing assets into high-performing, search-optimized video systems.

What makes it different is the combination of technology, strategy, and real-world execution. Destinate uses GenAI not only to repurpose footage, but also to:

• Analyze platform behavior (YouTube, TikTok, Meta, OTAs) to identify what algorithms are actually favoring
• Surface high-intent keywords and content gaps travelers are searching for — but hotels aren’t addressing
• Produce modular video content designed for specific formats — vertical, horizontal, reels, shorts, carousels, and OTA embeds
• Automatically localize videos into multiple languages to support regional and international campaigns
• Personalize messaging by traveler type, property tier, or market segment

It’s not just about faster production — it’s about smarter distribution, higher visibility, and real lift in bookings.

If you’re sitting on years of great content — or stuck with videos that aren’t driving performance — this is one of the most strategic levers you can pull right now.

Destinate is offering a limited # of Gen AI Pilot Programs to hotels that want to be on the cutting edge of how GenAI is dramatically changing hospitality marketing, now and in the future. DM if interested.