In September 2026, Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a system enabling AI assistants to book accommodations directly, bypassing intermediaries. This move could significantly alter the trends between hotels, booking platforms, and tour operators, potentially leading to unforeseen changes in the tourism sector.
Launched in January 2026, UCP allows AI assistants to interact with companies’ commercial systems. For instance, a traveler could ask Google’s AI: “Find me a hotel in Krakow for four nights, with breakfast included, for under €300.” Previously, while the AI could search and compare options, the traveler had to visit a separate site to complete the booking. With UCP, the assistant can check real-time availability, retrieve final prices, and confirm reservations within the same conversation.
How UCP Works and Its Initial Impact
On September 25, 2026, Google, alongside major tourism companies like Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia, Hilton, Marriott, and Trip.com, unveiled the first UCP specification focused on accommodations. Although still in development, the strategy is clear: Google aims to create a new form of disintermediation, ironically collaborating with the very intermediaries it might eventually compete against.
One key question UCP raises is whether hotels can operate independently of platforms like Booking.com. According to the 2026 HOTREC European study, nearly a third of hotel bookings now occur through major online platforms, with Booking.com and Expedia Group alone accounting for 85% of these reservations. This reliance poses a significant commercial challenge for hotels.
UCP has the potential to shift this dynamic. A hotel with a UCP-compatible reservation system could offer rooms directly to travelers via Google’s AI interface, potentially bypassing platforms like Booking.com. The assistant could check availability, display prices, and facilitate bookings, allowing hotels to maintain direct commercial relationships with customers and increase direct sales.
However, declaring the end of intermediaries is premature. Booking.com and Expedia are involved in developing UCP and could continue distributing hotel offers through AI assistants. The economic terms of this distribution remain unclear, and there’s no guarantee UCP reservations will be cheaper than traditional platform bookings, though this is a reasonable assumption.
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If Google becomes travelers’ primary contact, hotels might simply replace one dependency with another. For tour operators, the implications are less clear. Consider a tour operator that annually negotiates hundreds of rooms with resort hotels in Croatia or Turkey, bundling them with transportation for pre-negotiated rates.
If these hotels could more easily sell rooms directly through AI assistants, they might reduce allocations for tour operators in favor of more favorable channels. However, tour operators could also benefit if AI reservation systems open up to travel packages. UCP connectors could allow them to sell trips directly to travelers, reducing reliance on traditional distribution agencies or platforms.
UCP could thus bring two significant changes: increased direct sales for hotels and new commercial opportunities for tour operators. For travel agencies, the risk varies. General agencies, which primarily sell easily comparable services, face significant exposure, potentially impacting sales volumes and margins. Travelers might bypass intermediaries for services they can book themselves through AI.
Specialized agencies, focusing on custom trips, group travel, or business travel, are better protected. Organizing complex trips, coordinating multiple providers, or handling last-minute requests requires expertise beyond current AI capabilities. Advisory responsibility, decision-making, and managing unexpected issues remain strong commercial arguments for these players.
While not all professionals face the same risks, the challenge of maintaining direct customer access is universal. Hotels should explore direct booking possibilities through AI assistants while comparing distribution costs. Tour operators must monitor relationships with partner establishments and continue justifying the value of negotiated volumes.
Risks and Strategic Considerations for Industry Players
Generalist agencies, which primarily distribute easily comparable services, are particularly vulnerable. Their sales volumes and margins could be directly affected as travelers opt to book directly through AI assistants.