TLDR: A recent study by Propellic, published on PhocusWire, highlights how travel shoppers are increasingly using Google’s AI Mode for planning and booking. The research indicates a high level of trust in AI-generated results and a shift towards conversational search, prompting travel marketers to rethink traditional funnel strategies.
A new behavioral study conducted by Propellic and featured on PhocusWire on September 9, 2025, sheds light on the evolving landscape of travel shopping, particularly how consumers interact with Google’s AI Mode. The findings suggest a significant shift in user behavior and present a compelling case for travel marketers to adapt their strategies.
The study revealed that Google’s AI Mode plays a crucial role during the time-consuming travel planning phase. Participants in the study heavily relied on the AI Mode’s features to ‘build confidence in their choices.’ On average, users spent approximately 104 seconds on planning tasks, which included browsing, evaluating options, and asking follow-up questions. In contrast, the booking phase saw a much shorter engagement, with users spending around 38 seconds before often leaving Google after making their selection.
Propellic’s research also highlighted that inline links within AI Mode were frequently clicked, and travelers utilized longer, more conversational prompts. This behavior underscores the necessity for brands to move away from conventional keyword targeting towards providing more comprehensive answers to complex queries. When users clicked on a Google Local Pack or an inline link, they spent time examining websites, reviews, prices, and photos within the business profile that opened in the right panel.
According to Propellic, these findings indicate that Google AI Mode is poised to become even more integral to travel search, driven by users’ apparent preference for AI interactions. This necessitates a re-evaluation of marketing approaches within the travel sector. As Bliss, a representative quoted in the report, stated, ‘For decades, travel marketing mapped campaigns to ‘dreaming, planning, booking.’ LLMs blur the phases of the traditional funnel into one environment. The new competition is about controlling the collapsed funnel inside the AI ecosystem. Whoever owns that interaction wins the traveler.’
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A key aspect of the study was the high level of trust participants placed in Google’s AI. Brands presented by Google AI Mode were perceived as accurate and useful, with all post-task trust ratings exceeding 4.3 out of five. This contrasts sharply with a Phocuswright report, ‘Chat, Plan, Book: GenAI Goes Mainstream,’ which found that only 37% of travelers trust answers from general generative AI tools like ChatGPT. Coletta suggested, ‘The discrepancy may indicate that travelers have a higher default trust of AI Mode than other AI tools.’ This implies a significant opportunity for the travel industry to leverage AI-powered platforms to build consumer confidence, though the industry still has a considerable journey ahead to reduce friction through advanced services.
