In this episode of The Digital Marketing Podcast, Daniel Rowles is joined by Matthew Gardiner from World Travel Market for a special look at how the user journey is being radically reshaped, and why the travel industry offers a powerful lens for understanding the broader changes all marketers now face.
From AI-powered search and agents, to disconnected content ecosystems, collapsing funnels, and new expectations for sustainability and meaning, the way users discover, evaluate, and buy has shifted. Whether you work in travel or not, this episode delivers insight into how to adapt your digital strategy for a fragmented, AI-enhanced, and purpose-driven customer journey.
Why AI is collapsing the funnel
Users no longer move in a straight line from awareness to action. Conversations with AI agents like ChatGPT are replacing multi-step journeys. Whoever owns the AI conversation, owns the customer.
From connected to disconnected content
The shift from traditional, connected social feeds to short-form, algorithmically driven discovery (Reels, TikToks, Shorts) has changed how we build awareness and trust.
AI Overviews and Answer Engine Optimisation
With 55% of Google searches now including AI summaries, Daniel explains why SEO alone is not enough and how Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) are the new battlegrounds.
Agents are doing the work
From itinerary planning to automated bookings, AI agents are reshaping how users interact with brands, often bypassing websites altogether.
The new role of structured data
Matthew shares how travel brands must now treat structured markup (schema) as a new kind of distribution, ensuring they are machine-readable to AI systems.
Why user testing must change
Daniel explains why marketers must rethink usability testing to account for personalised algorithms, behaviour-based ad targeting, and AI-powered search.
Brand loyalty as a survival tactic
In an age of disintermediation, programmes like Bonvoy are keeping users loyal through gamification and exclusive benefits, offering lessons for all industries.
Content strategy for the AI era
From FAQs and multilingual support to video answers and UGC, the path to visibility is paved with granular, high-quality, human-first content.
Through a detailed conversation with Matthew Gardiner, the episode explores how the travel industry has continually adapted to disruption. From the rise of OTAs and TripAdvisor to today’s challenges around AI agents, soft adventure trends, live tourism, and sustainability expectations, travel may be the canary in the coal mine but its lessons are highly applicable to every sector.
AI is not just changing how people search; it is rewriting how people trust, book, and choose.
Being mentioned in AI conversations is the new SEO. Structured data and FAQ-rich content are your ticket in.
Agents now do things, not just recommend. Optimising for transactions and post-click experience is vital.
Loyalty schemes, brand identity, and customer advocacy matter more than ever to bypass AI’s generic results.
Usability testing must reflect real, personalised experiences, not idealised lab setups.
World Travel Market - The global travel trade show (Nov 2025, London)
Visit Jersey - Daniel's home island and a case study in destination marketing
Taylor Swift episode - How live tourism and event-based demand shape destination appeal
Click Here by Alex Schultz - Meta CMO’s book on digital marketing fundamentals
Answer the Public - Tool for identifying user questions to guide content strategy
Listen, subscribe or get in contact
We sit down with Alex Schultz, Meta’s Chief Marketing Officer to unpack the future of digital marketing, and why the fundamentals still matter.
In this episode the team explore what it really means to thrive in an era of complexity, burnout, and constant disruption using the regenerative marketing approach.