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The excitement of booking a holiday can dissipate all too quickly when faced with the task of planning the trip. Trying to squeeze in all the must-visit sights, figure out which restaurants or bars to prioritise, and plan any excursions you’d like to do takes some serious organisation – so anything that can help take the pressure off is always welcome.
Travel booking company Expedia may have just launched the answer with its new Trip Matching feature. The new AI-powered tool is the first of its kind, providing travellers with itineraries for their trips based on Instagram reels. In theory, it sounds amazing; according to Statista, 75 per cent of travellers use social media platforms as a source of travel inspiration, and an American Express study revealed that 75 per cent of those surveyed were inspired to travel to a specific destination because of social media, so a tool that will help turn that inspiration into serviceable information would surely be invaluable.
We decided to test the new tool to see how effective it is. According to Expedia’s announcement, the feature “allows travellers to seamlessly build an itinerary based on reels found on Instagram and then book directly on Expedia. Travellers can share any publicly available travel-related reel – whether from content creators they follow or trending posts – directly with Expedia and receive customised itineraries, destination ideas, and travel tips based on the video.”
We started by sharing a Condé Nast Traveller reel detailing a two-week guide to Thailand – we figured this would be a simple first test with plenty of information for the tool to turn into a usable itinerary. We shared the Reel directly with the @Expedia Instagram account, and less than 60 seconds later received a response. The message began with a general introduction to Thailand, seemingly cribbing some detail from the Reel’s caption and potentially using other Instagram or Google data to create the response: “Experience the magic of Thailand through a perfect two-week journey! From bustling city life to serene beaches, Thailand offers luxury, adventure, culture and relaxation all in one incredible destination. The #WhiteLotus effect has everyone talking about this Southeast Asian gem.”
The rest of the message was split into ‘Key Destinations’, presumably pulling together further Google data to find top trending destinations within Thailand. First up was Bangkok: “Immerse yourself in the vibrant capital where gleaming skyscrapers meet ornate temples and floating markets create an unforgettable urban adventure”, then Chiang Mai: “Discover northern Thailand’s cultural heart with ancient temples, mountain views, and authentic experiences with local artisans and elephants,” followed by similar entries for Krabi, Railay Beach and ‘Koholananta’ [sic], which we will assume should be Koh Lanta. The recommendations are more vague than we’d hoped – it takes a cursory search to learn that these destinations should be on your Thailand holiday plan if you’re travelling around, so this is not a hugely helpful itinerary. It’s more of a generic destination overview, although there are some pictures to give you an idea of what each destination might offer.
Below the message, there are buttons to request further information. We pressed ‘Adventure activities’, but the response we received said: “For help with your itinerary, please contact us via Facebook Messenger, or visit Expedia service for the latest travel info and booking support.” So far, not hugely impressed, especially since the Instagram Reel contains much more detailed information that we assumed would be included in the AI-powered itinerary, since that was the reason we’d chosen that specific video. Here is our two-week itinerary for Thailand, if you’d like a more detailed guide.
We decided to try again with a different example, this time sending a more specific Instagram Reel – a foodie guide to Edinburgh from chef Roberta Hall. This was definitely a more helpful result – we hoped the response would break down her recommendations into an itinerary featuring the restaurants mentioned, plus any other Edinburgh suggestions, and that’s pretty much what we got.
The message began with helpful tidbits like the best time to visit the city (“May-June for mild weather and fewer tourists), pictures of tourist attractions (Edinburgh Castle, Scotch Whisky Experience, Royal Botanic Garden) and top things to do, including a trip to Mirin Leith – a restaurant mentioned by Roberta in the Reel – and Expedia’s Hidden Gems, such as the Leith Shore.
It then breaks these recommendations into a three-day itinerary, combining classic sightseeing like walking along the Royal Mile and exploring Princes Street Gardens, to dining on “Upscale Scottish cuisine at The Witchery”, a brilliant restaurant near the Castle, or taste-testing the different stalls at Stockbridge Market.
There are also some Edinburgh hotel suggestions, and booking buttons to click directly through to Expedia, and showing some extra details such as the hotel’s star rating, number of Expedia reviews, and price per night (in dollars). Hotel suggestions for Edinburgh included The Balmoral, the Waldorf Astoria, Hotel Indigo, The Scotsman and Fingal.
This was a much better test – the message had a lot more detail than the Thailand example. It’s a more serviceable response, with a comprehensive three-day timeline, lots of intriguing advice, plus great hotel recommendations and helpful tips with hidden gems and places to visit, too. There were buttons to request more information from ‘Historical sites’ to ‘More foodie spots’, but again users would have to contact via Facebook Messenger or head to the Expedia website for further assistance.
This is a really exciting development in the world of bookable travel via social media platforms. While there are clearly some kinks to be ironed out (spelling mistakes, surface-level guides, lack of relevance to the referenced Instagram Reel), once these have been dealt with, this could be a truly helpful tool for travellers planning a trip. It’s in Beta testing now, but you can sign up for early access here.