OpenAI Now Lets All Travel Brands Talk to Users Directly in ChatGPT

OpenAI has officially launched a new App Directory and opened submissions for third-party developers to build and publish apps inside ChatGPT using its new Apps SDK software development kit. This allows companies, including travel brands, to create chat native apps that integrate their services directly into ChatGPT conversations.

For travel companies, this means that search, planning, and booking tools can now reside within an AI chat experience, rather than requiring users to visit a separate website or download a mobile app.

Competition for travel brands

Until now, only a limited group of early partners, such as Booking.com and Expedia, were able to integrate their services into ChatGPT as interactive tools. With the App Directory now open and the SDK in beta, that early exclusivity has ended.

This change lowers barriers for new and smaller travel brands to compete for visibility inside ChatGPT. While Booking.com and Expedia benefited from being early movers, their advantage could narrow as more airlines, hotels, tour operators, and travel technology companies launch their own chat-based apps.

Shift in user behavior

Travelers can now search flight options, compare hotel prices, explore packages, and receive tailored recommendations within a single conversation.

This approach signals a broader move away from traditional app stores and web portals toward AI-centered interaction hubs. In this model, travel services appear proactively based on what users ask, rather than requiring users to search for the right app or website.

Collaboration between AI and travel brands

Recently, Booking Holdings CFO Ewout Steenbergen said AI is more likely to drive growth for OTAs than threaten them. He argues that AI can expand the total addressable market by speeding up the long-term shift from offline to online booking. As planning tools become more intuitive and personalized, more consumers may choose to travel and rely on digital platforms to manage their trips.

As these technologies mature, partnerships between AI systems and travel brands are already shaping the next stage of travel distribution. Our explainer on AI travel agents explores how these collaborations could evolve in the years ahead.

Photo by Zac Wolff on Unsplash