For some time now, there have been separate discussions around how artificial intelligence (AI) will change travel inspiration, as well as how social media has become ingrained in the travel planning process.
But it's unclear how social and AI might work in tandem as the discovery process evolves in the long term.
According to Adrian Villabruna, co-founder of Videreo, currently, there are two discovery paths.
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“Somebody goes and searches Barcelona, they will find local creators that know about Barcelona. So that's the social way. The other way is obviously ChatGPT, AI,” he said during a panel interview in the PhocusWire studio at Phocuswright Europe 2025.
But they could come together, according to Judith Eyck, chief operating officer of HolidayPirates Group, who also participated in the panel interview.
“What I think is very interesting is that AI now comes to the inspiration phase,” Eyck said.
She sees two “teams” right now—one that is focused on the creator side and one that is focused on AI. “I would like to bring those teams more together.”
Eyck said she imagines a process in which travelers will speak to agents that will take social media history into account when generating recommendations.
“What I foresee, and what I hope, is that my agent will tell me one day, ‘Hey, you've been working 60 hours this week. You've been saving a lot of Instagram pictures and reels about mountains. Here are basic, beautiful treks to Albania,’” she said. “I think that's a good combination of where it could go with discovery, bringing AI and the creators together, that's something I don't see yet.”
Additionally, AI can bring context to the table, while social brings inspiration.
“We believe working with creators with user-generated content is actually the way forward, but AI will help you make decisions easier,” she said. “I want to bring creation and social media and AI together ... I want ChatGPT to learn from what I've been saving on my social platforms so it can give me better recommendations.”
Some brands are exploring ways for the two technologies to work together such as Expedia's Trip Matching feature, which can generate a bookable itinerary based on Instagram content, and TourRadar’s Moments feature, which allows for reels and photos to be bookable while rewarding creators.
But as companies seek to bring social and AI together, there are likely to be hiccups.
Villabruna said he sees challenges arising from initiatives such as Expedia’s Trip Matching. “The creators are not being compensated. I think if the creators are being left out, I don't think it's going to work.”
The executives also touched on ensuring brand visibility, video booking, how destinations can increase their discoverability and the advantages of first-party data.
Watch their full conversation with PhocusWire senior reporter Morgan Hines below:
Phocuswright Europe 2025 Executive Interview: Rethinking travel discovery and booking