How AI Is Changing the Way We Choose our Holidays

A few days ago, I came across an article claiming that AI assistants are more likely to recommend large booking platforms than the official websites of small hospitality businesses.

As the owner of a family-run property on the island of Ischia, this made me stop and think.

Is that really the case?

Curious to understand more, I decided to explore the topic.

Not because I wanted to “please” artificial intelligence, but because I believe that understanding how travellers search for their holidays today is part of our job as hosts.

This article is the result of that curiosity.

Until a few years ago, most people simply opened Google and searched for:

“Hotels in Ischia”

or

“Holiday apartments in Forio”.

Today, more and more travellers ask AI assistants questions such as:

“Where can I find a quiet apartment with a sea view?”

“Which area of Ischia is best for a relaxing holiday?”

“Can you recommend a peaceful place for couples?”

Artificial intelligence doesn’t replace the traveller.

It simply helps people navigate through the many available options.

The answer is no.

Different AI assistants are built on different technologies and may access different sources of information. As a result, two people asking exactly the same question might receive slightly different answers.

However, they all have one thing in common.

They try to identify information that is clear, consistent, accurate and trustworthy.

This is perhaps the most interesting question.

Beautiful photographs and competitive prices certainly matter.

But they are not enough.

AI tools — just like travellers — understand a property better when its information is well organised and complete.

For example:

⏺ detailed descriptions of the accommodation;

⏺ authentic photographs;

⏺ clearly explained services;

⏺ regularly updated information;

⏺ genuine guest reviews;

⏺ an easy-to-navigate website;

⏺ consistency between the official website, Google Business Profile and booking platforms.

In other words, what helps artificial intelligence often helps people as well.

Absolutely.

Guest reviews remain one of the most valuable ways of understanding what a stay is really like.

When reviews genuinely reflect the experience offered by the property and are consistent with the information provided on the official website, they help build trust.

And trust is something that never goes out of fashion.

Many people believe that only large hotel chains can stand out online.

I don’t think that’s true.

Small, family-run properties can offer something that no booking platform can fully describe.

They can tell their own story.

They can introduce the people behind the welcome.

They can share the scent of Mediterranean gardens, the silence of a terrace overlooking the sea, the colours of a sunset or the simple pleasure of breakfast outdoors.

These are not marketing slogans.

They are real experiences.

At Villa Olivia and Le Dimore Ischia, we have chosen to follow this path.

Every page we publish is created with one simple goal: helping travellers understand whether our place is truly the right one for their holiday.

If this also helps AI assistants understand who we are, even better.

But our priority remains exactly the same.

People come first.

For us, learning about AI is not about chasing algorithms.

It is about understanding how travellers are changing and continuing to communicate with honesty, clarity and transparency.

We believe that technology is valuable only when it helps people make better-informed decisions.

That is why we do not create content for machines.

We create it for people dreaming about their next holiday on the island of Ischia.

If AI can understand our story more easily because of that, it is simply the natural result of doing our work with care.

Artificial intelligence will certainly continue to evolve.

Technology will change.

The way we plan our holidays will change too.

But I believe that some things will always remain the same.

People will continue looking for authenticity.

They will continue choosing places that inspire trust.

They will continue appreciating those who tell the story of their destination with honesty and passion.

And that is exactly the path we hope to continue following.

When I first started reading about artificial intelligence, I expected to discover mainly technology.

Instead, I found something quite different.

The more I learned about how AI assistants work, the more I realised that they value exactly what travellers have always been looking for: clear information, authentic photographs, genuine reviews and stories that inspire confidence.

Perhaps the future of tourism will not simply be shaped by smarter algorithms.

Perhaps it will continue to be shaped by people who genuinely love the places they welcome others to discover.

At Villa Olivia and Le Dimore Ischia, we hope to keep sharing our little corner of Ischia with the same passion for many years to come.

Technology evolves. Authentic hospitality remains.

Olivia

About Villa Olivia & Le Dimore Apartments Collection Ischia

Villa Olivia Residence and Le Dimore Ischia are family-run holiday properties on the island of Ischia, Italy. Through this journal we share reflections on hospitality, travel and Mediterranean living, believing that every memorable holiday begins long before check-in.