Planning a vacation can involve multiple apps, browser tabs, maps, review websites, chat conversations, and booking platforms. Agoda wants to simplify that process with its new AI Assistant, which is now entering a limited public beta.

Agoda Launches AI Travel Assistant That Turns Travel Ideas Into Bookable Trips

The digital travel platform has started testing the AI Assistant with a select group of Agoda mobile app users. The new feature is designed to help travelers move from an initial travel idea to a personalized, bookable itinerary without switching between platforms.

Instead of simply providing suggestions, the AI Assistant connects conversational trip planning with Agoda’s booking ecosystem. Travelers can discuss where they want to go, explore accommodation and activity options, compare prices, check availability, and make bookings within the Agoda app.

From Travel Inspiration to Actual Bookings

One of the biggest challenges with AI-powered travel planning is the gap between inspiration and booking.

A traveler may ask an AI tool to recommend a hotel, restaurant, or destination, only to discover later that the property is unavailable, the price has changed, or the recommendation requires another search to complete the booking.

Agoda’s AI Assistant aims to address this problem by connecting trip-planning conversations with its live travel inventory.

The platform currently offers access to more than 6 million accommodations, alongside more than 130,000 flight routes and over 300,000 activities.

This allows travelers to explore recommendations and check practical details, such as prices and availability, on the same platform.

The AI Assistant Remembers Your Travel Preferences

The new assistant is also designed to retain trip context and traveler preferences as planning progresses.

For example, travelers can start with a broad idea such as planning a family holiday and gradually refine their requirements based on budget, destination, accommodation preferences, activities, and travel dates.

This conversational approach could make trip planning more convenient, particularly for travelers who do not have a fixed itinerary when they begin their research.

Instead of starting from scratch each time they search for another part of their trip, the assistant can use the existing conversation and preferences to make more relevant recommendations.

Powered by OpenAI and Google Gemini

Agoda says the conversational intelligence behind its AI Assistant is currently powered by OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 model.

For more complex travel-planning requests, Agoda also uses Google Gemini’s Grounding with Google Maps feature.

This combination allows the AI Assistant to provide recommendations using information from Google Maps, including ratings, photos, and opening hours.

This can be particularly useful for travelers with specific requirements. A family traveling with teenagers, for example, may need recommendations for destinations and activities that fit different interests, opening hours, locations, and practical travel considerations.

The integration of conversational AI with location-based information is intended to make recommendations more useful in real-world travel planning.

Agoda Wants to Reduce the Complexity of Travel Planning

Agoda CEO Omri Morgenshtern said the company’s new AI Assistant is designed to reduce the amount of work travelers need to put into organizing a trip.

“Planning a trip today can feel like a second job,” Morgenshtern said, pointing to the number of tabs, screenshots, group chats, and spreadsheets travelers often use when organizing holidays.

The company sees the AI Assistant as a way to bring these planning activities into one experience, from the initial idea through the booking process.

Limited Beta Before Wider Rollout

The current release is a limited public beta, giving Agoda an opportunity to gather user feedback and refine the technology before a broader launch.

The company plans to gradually roll out the AI Assistant to all users of its mobile app over the coming months.

The rollout also reflects the growing role of artificial intelligence in travel, as platforms increasingly move beyond traditional search tools toward conversational experiences that combine recommendations, real-time information, and transactions.

For travelers, the biggest potential advantage is convenience. Instead of using separate tools to research destinations, compare hotels, check availability, and organize activities, the goal is to complete more of the journey on a single platform.

Agoda’s AI Assistant is still in its testing phase, so its capabilities and user experience may continue to evolve. As the beta expands, traveler feedback will likely shape how the feature handles increasingly complex trips and personalized recommendations.

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