Eight in 10 travellers globally want AI assistance during their booking journey, with price monitoring and alerts (44%) leading their wishlist, according to SiteMinder’s Changing Traveller Report 2026, released today. Spotting fake listings and scams (39%) and summarising hotel reviews (39%) round out the top AI capabilities travellers seek when booking.
The report, the world’s largest consumer research on accommodation, surveyed 12,000 travellers across 14 countries including Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Thailand, the UK and the US.
When asked about using AI to predict and prevent travel stress, financial concerns again emerge as the top priority, with travellers most wanting AI to monitor spending to avoid exceeding budgets (35%). This is followed by restaurant recommendations aligned with their eating habits (30%), destination suggestions based on health data (29%), and noise level assessments for quieter stays (28%).
Australians buck global trend, reverting to search engines for hotel research
Online travel agencies (OTAs) have overtaken search engines as travellers’ primary starting point for hotel discovery globally, according to SiteMinder. Twenty-six percent of travellers surveyed will now begin their hotel research on an OTA, up from 18% last year, while those who will start with a search engine have fallen from 36% to 21%.
Australian travellers, however, stand apart from this global trend. They’re significantly more likely than travellers from other countries to begin their hotel research with a search engine (31%), followed by OTAs (24%), friends and family recommendations (16%), and social media (6%).
While OTAs remain the leading booking channel for Australians at 35%—stable year-over-year—this sits notably below the global average of 42%. Australian travellers show stronger preference for alternative channels, with property websites capturing 21% of bookings, followed by travel agents (14%) and search engines (12%). Australian direct bookers cite greater control (68%), better service (67%), and competitive pricing (66%) as their primary motivations.
“The hotel discovery landscape is more dynamic than it’s ever been before,” says Trent Innes, Chief Growth Officer at SiteMinder. “Not only is the starting point of research diversifying, but travellers are moving more seamlessly between channels, often using several simultaneously to build confidence in their choices. This non-linear journey has become the natural rhythm of modern travel planning.”
Travel demand remains robust for 2026
Nearly half (49%) of travellers reported a stronger desire to travel in the next 12 months. Japan (17%), the US (10%), and France (10%) maintain their top positions as the world’s most desired destinations for 2026. Australia ranks 8th among top destinations to travel to globally, while Sydney claims the 7th spot as the most popular city in the world, behind Tokyo, Osaka, Paris, Seoul, Kyoto, and Singapore.
Event-driven travel is also accelerating, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials, of which 81% and 74% are more likely to travel for concerts, festivals, and special events in 2026, respectively.
Other key findings from the report include:
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65% of travellers globally now support demand-based pricing
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42% of global travellers would pay more for accommodation in popular destinations if it helped to reduce overtourism
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Australian travellers are one of just three markets where quality bedding (45%) trumps peace and quiet (39%), alongside strong preferences for fast WiFi and flexible check-in times
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When researching properties, location details are paramount for 65% of Australian travellers
“This new research reinforces a critical truth,” adds Innes, “there is no single formula for capturing demand in our current travel landscape. Travellers across markets are shaping their journeys in increasingly distinct ways — from how they discover hotels online to the experiences they prioritise once they arrive — and it’s the hotels best positioned to anticipate and respond to these vast differences that will be most effective in finding and maximising their ideal guests in the year ahead.”
