In August 2026, we analyzed 4,940 ChatGPT responses across seven travel and hospitality categories to compile the EMARKETER AI Visibility Index. This index tracks how often brands are mentioned and how they rank against competitors. This is the first edition for travel and hospitality, covering airlines, car rental, cruises, hotels, resort operators, vacation clubs, and vacation rentals, with July 2026 as the comparison month.

Marriott International overtook Hilton for the top spot. Marriott ranked No. 1 overall with a 22% mention rate, up 2 percentage points from July, when it trailed Hilton by less than half a point. Below them, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and Turo maintained their July rankings, landing in third through sixth place.

Turo was the only nonhotel brand in the top six. The car-sharing marketplace ranked No. 6 overall, with a 9% mention rate. Turo appeared in 67% of car rental recommendations, 29 points ahead of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the widest gap between a category leader and runner-up in the index.

Marriott widened its lead in vacation clubs. Its lead over Hilton widened to 14 percentage points from 8, and its 87% mention rate was the highest of any brand in any category.

Hyatt appeared in three category top fives but led none of them. It ranked in the top five for hotels and vacation clubs and slipped to No. 2 in resort operators, where Excellence Resorts edged it out. Resort operators was the most tightly packed category in the index, with 8 percentage points separating the top five.

Small rate changes were enough to reorder the lower half of the top 10. Only 1.3 percentage points separated No. 7 from No. 13 in August. Viking climbed to No. 7 from No. 10, and Choice Hotels entered the top 10 from No. 13, even though they both gained less than 1 percentage point from July. Best Western fell out of the top 10, dropping to No. 11.

About EMARKETER’s AI Visibility Index

Our AI Visibility Index is based on a structured analysis of ChatGPT and Gemini recommendations. Upcoming reports and articles will also include Google Gemini. Each query uses standardized prompts (e.g., “best luxury hotel chain” or “airline for business travelers”) spanning product type, attributes, consumer needs, target audience, and price tier. Prompts are built with EMARKETER analysts and researchers and are validated with search volume, so every brand is measured against the same benchmark.

Want a closer look at the AI Visibility Index? EMARKETER PRO subscribers can access in-depth reports featuring further category breakouts, data cuts, and analysis, while PRO+ subscribers can access the complete data set, including monthly updates across every category cut, in the live dashboard.

To learn more about how EMARKETER’s AI Visibility Index can help your brand, including advisory insights that pinpoint what’s shaping your visibility, visit our AI Visibility Index hub.