In September 2026, we analyzed 4,940 ChatGPT and 4,940 Google Gemini recommendations across seven travel and hospitality categories to compile the EMARKETER AI Visibility Index. Our index tracks how often brands are mentioned, how they rank against competitors, and how those rankings have shifted since the previous month. This article will be updated quarterly to highlight our key takeaways for the travel and hospitality industry’s performance.

Overall AI Visibility Leaderboard: Q4 2026

The leaderboard was mostly stable in September 2026 compared with July. The top six brands held the same positions, led by Marriott International with a 26% brand mention rate and Hilton Worldwide at 20%. IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and Turo rounded out the top six.

Movement was concentrated at the bottom of the top 10. Viking moved ahead of Four Seasons to No. 7, while Choice Hotels entered at No. 9 and Disney fell to No. 10. Best Western, ranked No. 10 in July, fell out of the top 10.

Category leaders held widely different margins over their closest competitors. Turo had the largest lead across the seven categories, with its 68% brand mention rate in car rentals leading Enterprise Rent-A-Car by 25 percentage points. Vacation rentals had the smallest gap, with Airbnb mentioned in 85% of vacation rental recommendations compared with 78% for Vrbo.

Category AI Visibility Leaderboard: Cruises

Key Movements

The top six cruise brands held their positions from July to September. Viking remained No. 1 with a 42% brand mention rate, followed by Silversea at 33% and Seabourn at 29%. Regent Seven Seas Cruises ranked No. 4 at 24%, while AmaWaterways and Uniworld each had an 18% mention rate.

Brand Mention Rate vs. Share of No. 1 Mentions

Viking combined the highest brand mention rate with the highest share of No. 1 mentions among the cruise category’s top 10. Its 42% brand mention rate and 46% No. 1 mention rate put it above the top 20 averages on both measures. Regent Seven Seas Cruises also scored highly on both metrics, with rates of 24% and 44%, respectively.

Citations by Platform

Citations in the cruise category differed sharply between ChatGPT and Gemini. Cruise Critic led ChatGPT’s citations at 24%, followed by Cruiseline.com at 16%. Gemini’s leading sources had much lower citation rates, with the No. 1 nonbrand domain reaching only 4%.

FAQ: Travel and Hospitality

Which travel and hospitality brands were mentioned the most in AI-generated recommendations?

Marriott International was the most frequently mentioned travel and hospitality brand in AI-generated recommendations in September 2026, with a 26% brand mention rate across ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Hilton Worldwide followed at 20%, with IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Turo, Viking, Four Seasons, Choice Hotels, and Disney rounding out the top 10. Marriott also ranked first in the hotel and vacation club categories, reinforcing its leadership across multiple travel and hospitality segments.

Why do AI platforms recommend some travel and hospitality brands more than others?

AI platforms may recommend different travel and hospitality brands depending on the context of the prompt. ChatGPT and Google Gemini also cite different combinations of travel publishers, industry authorities, comparison sites, and specialist sources. Although both platforms favor many of the same leading brands, differences in cited sources highlight why brands should monitor their visibility and recommendation rankings separately across AI platforms.

Which travel and hospitality categories are most competitive in AI-generated recommendations?

Vacation rentals were the most closely contested travel and hospitality category in September 2026, with Airbnb leading Vrbo by just 7 percentage points in AI-generated brand mentions. Hotels were also competitive, with Marriott International ahead of IHG Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Worldwide by 8 percentage points. Car rentals showed the widest gap between the top two brands, with Turo holding a substantial lead over Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Why is AI visibility important for travel and hospitality brands?

AI visibility is important for travel and hospitality brands because AI-generated recommendations influence how consumers discover and compare travel options. Brand mention rates indicate how frequently companies appear in recommendations, while No. 1 mention rates measure how often they earn the top position when mentioned. High visibility does not automatically translate into top placement. Tracking both metrics helps airlines, hotels, cruise operators, and other travel brands evaluate their competitive positioning in AI-driven discovery.

What were the biggest AI visibility trends for travel and hospitality brands this quarter?

The biggest travel and hospitality AI visibility trends were stable brand leadership, differences between overall visibility and first-place rankings, and shifting citation patterns. Marriott International maintained its overall lead between July and September 2026, while Turo stood out for its high share of No. 1 mentions. ChatGPT and Google Gemini agreed on the six leading brands but frequently cited different sources. Both platforms also referenced fewer unique domains in September than in July.

FAQ: EMARKETER’s AI Visibility Index

How is the travel and hospitality AI Visibility Index measured?

EMARKETER’s AI Visibility Index is based on a structured analysis of ChatGPT and Google Gemini recommendations in response to US-based interactions across seven travel and hospitality categories: airlines, car rentals, cruises, hotels, resort operators, vacation rentals, and vacation clubs. Each interaction asks ChatGPT and Gemini for product recommendations using standardized prompts (e.g., “best luxury hotel chain,” “airline for business travelers”). Prompts vary by product type, product attribute, consumer need, target audience, and price tier to capture a representative range of real-world consumer questions for each category.

How does EMARKETER choose the prompts?

Prompts are built with EMARKETER analysts and researchers who cover each industry, then validated and prioritized using consumer search volume data. Prompts reflect the language consumers actually use.

What is “brand mention rate”?

Brand mention rate is the percentage of each AI tool’s recommendations that mention a given brand.

What is “No. 1 mention rate”?

No. 1 mention rate is the number of ChatGPT and Google Gemini recommendations that mention a given brand first as a percentage of all ChatGPT and Gemini recommendations that mention the brand.

How can I improve my brand’s AI visibility?

Brands strengthen how often AI assistants recommend them by sharpening their generative engine optimization (GEO) strategy and building the trust signals AI models weigh. EMARKETER’s AI Visibility Index shows where a brand stands today and how that position moves month over month—the baseline for any optimization effort. To learn more about how the index can help your brand, including custom-scoped advisory insights, visit our AI Visibility Index hub.

What do EMARKETER PRO and PRO+ subscribers get?

EMARKETER PRO subscribers get in-depth quarterly reports featuring further category breakouts, data cuts, and analysis. PRO+ subscribers can access the AI Visibility Index’s complete data set, including monthly updates across every category cut, in the live dashboard.