Artificial intelligence disruption concerns trigger a plunge in travel stocks

LootboxPhobia · 2026-02-24T10:30:56+00:00

Airbnb, Booking Holdings, and Expedia stocks plummeted by 6%, 7%, and 8% respectively due to market concerns over artificial intelligence disrupting the travel industry. A related report indicates that AI agents may provide travel services more efficiently in the future, further impacting traditional travel booking platforms.

LootboxPhobia

2026-02-24 10:30:56

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Investing.com – Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB) stock fell 6% on Thursday, Booking Holdings (NASDAQ:BKNG) declined 7%, and Expedia (NASDAQ:EXPE) dropped 8%, as travel stocks faced sell-offs amid widespread concerns that artificial intelligence could disrupt traditional business models.

The sell-off followed a research report from Citirini Research, which outlined a hypothetical scenario where advancing AI capabilities could cause widespread disruption in employment and other sectors. The report also described how AI agents might reshape various industries.

According to the report, travel booking platforms could be vulnerable to early disruption due to their relatively simple and straightforward business models. The study predicts that by Q4 2026, AI agents could assemble complete travel itineraries—including flights, hotels, ground transportation, loyalty optimization, budget constraints, and refunds—more quickly and cheaply, surpassing the efficiency of current platforms.

The decline in the travel sector reflects recent pressure on software stocks, which have been concerned about AI potentially disrupting traditional business models and pricing structures.

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