New Report: Rethinking Travel Content Marketing in the Age of AI

As AI reshapes the travel marketing landscape, brands must rethink their approach to content strategy. A new report from Curacity reveals how marketers can shift from passive awareness-building to active, measurable demand creation through targeted storytelling and strategic distribution.

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner.

Travel marketers are facing a new reality: brands relying heavily on search and social media platforms face declining visibility, as AI-generated search summaries draw clicks away from even the most well-optimized content. According to a new report from Curacity, developed in partnership with media brands such as Afar, Travel + Leisure, Fathom, and A Hotel Life, sites ranking first in Google results now experience a 35% drop in clicks when AI summaries appear. The takeaway is clear: travel brands must invest in content strategies that generate demand directly rather than relying on external platforms.

As AI disrupts traditional discovery channels, what travelers truly value is also becoming more obvious: authenticity and genuine storytelling. According to the report, 75% of travelers are more likely to book after engaging with trustworthy, narrative-driven content. Marketers who lean too heavily on generic content and superficial lists risk losing ground to competitors delivering human, firsthand experiences.

“We have to be the foil to the constant stream of slop that has taken over our feeds and inboxes,” said Julia Cosgrove, vice president and editor-in-chief of Afar.

First-person storytelling also plays a measurable role in performance. Marketers now have the tools to track how inspirational content translates into bookings and revenue. Brands can move beyond vague awareness metrics and turn storytelling into a measurable demand engine by treating content with the same rigor as a sales channel.

Turning content into a demand engine requires control over distribution. Hence, travel marketers must focus on owned media channels such as email to build direct relationships with potential customers. With open rates exceeding 42% in 2025, email far outperforms declining reach on platforms like Instagram while building consistent and lasting relationships with travelers. Unlike third-party channels subject to unpredictable algorithm shifts, email remains a reliable tool to drive awareness, inspire action, and nurture repeat bookings.

“Email invites an intimate relationship between reader and writer that is lacking elsewhere on the internet, and that was (and is) very appealing to us,” said Pavia Rosati, CEO and founder of Fathom.

Insights from Curacity’s new report reveal how AI is disrupting content discovery and what travel brands must do to generate measurable demand in today’s shifting digital landscape.

This report from Curacity provides a deep dive into evolving traveler behavior, the declining effectiveness of search and social, and the growing importance of owned media and authentic storytelling. It delivers actionable strategies for travel marketers to drive bookings, build direct relationships, and quantify content ROI.

In this report, you’ll find:

• Strategies for creating impactful, human-centered travel content.
• Insights from top travel editors on successful storytelling techniques.
• Data-driven analysis of the growing importance of email as a content distribution channel.
• Guidance on measuring content performance like a sales channel to demonstrate ROI.
• Tips on leveraging AI to streamline booking processes and improve group bookings.
• Strategies for early-stage content engagement to capture traveler interest before the booking stage.

This content was created collaboratively by Curacity and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.