The article explains that luxury travel brands are facing an “AI visibility crisis,” where even famous five star hotels are often missing from AI driven search results used by travelers and advisors. A new Spotlight Communications study finds that success now depends less on traditional SEO and site performance and more on “machine readable credibility,” meaning strong, structured content and frequent trusted third party mentions that AI can easily interpret. Many luxury properties scored low on AI visibility, often appeared in less than 40 percent of relevant searches, and suffered from messy or incomplete data about basics like amenities and awards. High site speed did not guarantee discoverability, while brands with more citations and editorial coverage performed much better. The piece argues that AI is now a powerful gatekeeper for trip inspiration, so the winners will be the brands that algorithms trust and understand, not just those with big marketing budgets.
