Adobe: AI referral traffic surges, travel industry players respond

On October 20, 2026, Adobe disclosed at a Skift Global Forum roundtable that AI referral traffic grew 119% year-over-year in July 2026, and grew 3,500% between May 2025 and May 2026. Adobe also stated that the conversion rate of AI referral visitors is currently only about 1% lower than that of non-AI traffic, and that the conversion gap that existed early on has narrowed. Hotel and travel brand executives at the event believe AI can handle routine bookings such as corporate travel, but complex leisure itineraries and booking interruptions still require human intervention. On the same day, HotelTonight co-founder and former CEO Sam Shank said at the same forum that AI-driven booking may challenge the sponsored search model supporting large OTAs such as Booking.com and Expedia, while bringing new opportunities for specialized agencies and booking infrastructure; he also discussed how hotels and vacation rentals can maintain visibility as travelers shift to AI discovery, and the impact of trust, privacy and security on adoption.