Keeping up with hotel marketing can be hard. The sector is quickly evolving, but that doesn’t mean you need to be left behind. If you’re looking to boost bookings in 2026 and drive revenue, you’re in luck. Our content marketing and market research team have pulled together the top insights to help you keep on top of the latest trends and buyer behaviour.

This week we’re looking at the diversification of generations consuming influencer content, the growth of solo travel (and how to reach this audience), and beverage trends for 2026 you should keep in mind.

Marketing

• A new survey of US teens says 64% use chatbots, with 3 in 10 doing so daily. TikTok and Instagram remain the most popular social platforms for the age range, with WhatsApp usage growing and Facebook and X use declining. 
• Analysis of Black Friday organic search traffic has revealed that only 11-21% of 4,000 top Black Friday searches result in clicks. 80% of the highest ranking URLs contain ‘black-friday’ or ‘blackfriday’. In the UK, the top 5 domains account for about 25% of all clicks in the keyword set. 
• Venngage and Pretty Little Marketer have shared their Design & Marketing Trends 2026: The Shifts that Will Shape What’s Coming Next Report. It covers the need for clarity on visual-first platforms like Instagram, how you can adopt AI and ensure brand consistency, the need to keep creativity human, and how overdone LinkedIn ‘thought leadership’ is overrated.
• The proportion of 55-64 year olds watching influencer videos has grown in both the US and UK over the last 5 years, with it rising 8% in the UK over this time span to 38%. This has grown as streaming services are picking up on the power of influencers and airing reality shows and docuseries starring them.

Hospitality

• The UK’s leading pub company, Greene King, launched its new app in September and has since seen 1 million customers sign up! The app aims to improve customer experience and increase brand loyalty with personalised offers, discounts, and rewards, as well as providing a centralised place to make bookings and orders. 
• Leon has entered administration and started closing sites around the UK, while TGI Friday’s future is unsure as its holding company files a notice to appoint administration. 
• Recent research suggests 2026 may be a tight year for the travel industry, with Q1 2026 occupancy pacing behind last year. U.S. short-term rental demand is predicted to drop to 5.5% by 2026 (with demand in 2021 at 15.8%).
• Expedia continues to back experiences as it acquires Tiqets (the Amsterdam-based tours and activities platform). This is part of their aim to create a comprehensive global travel solution for their B2B sector, as they announce a 26% rise in B2B bookings. 
• Phocuswright’s Travel Forward: Data, Insights & Trends for 2026 report has been released, noting that total gross bookings in 2025 are expected to reach $1.67 trillion, with travel and tourism generating over $11.7 trillion towards global GDP. Millennials seem to be driving the shift towards AI, with 58% of US travellers using AI in late 2025, and 39% using it for research and planning. 

• The beverage trends leading 2026 report from The National Restaurant Association’s 2026 research suggests health drinks such as kombucha and CBD drinks remain are the forefront alongside no and low alcohol beverages due in part to their popularity with millennial and Gen Z consumers. As well as this, consumers are focused on sustainability and local sourcing of drinks and ingredients. 
• According to the 2026 TravelBoom Leisure Travel Study, solo travel is on the rise, with 59% of travellers having taken a solo trip in the past five years (with Millennials accounting for over half of these). To accommodate solo travelling, make sure to personalise your stays, create solo-centric packages, promote safety in your messaging, and target content marketing towards them. 
• A new proposal from the US would have travellers from countries including the UK provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry in a move to tighten US borders. These socials have to be public for screening purposes. 
• New research into leisure travel has highlighted the reason many people travel, with 72% saying they have travelled or would travel for a concert or music festival and 55% claiming they would consider a wellness retreat. 54.6% of travellers want to include workouts during travel.

That’s the latest news for hospitality and hotel marketers this week. If you’d like to know more about our approach to hospitality marketing and how we can set you up for success in the new year, don’t wait until 2026. Get in touch with Punch today. 

While many people are relaxing and unwinding before the festive season, the world of hospitality marketing is busier than ever with last-minute Christmas trips and celebration drinks with friends. 

We’re helping save you time and wrapping up the top news in the worlds of AI, marketing, and hospitality – all in a nice little Turn Down bow. 

When we’re not crafting attention grabbing campaigns or visiting our favourite local hospitality spots, we’re keeping up to date with all the latest news in the worlds of restaurant marketing, hotel marketing, and the travel industry.

Today, we’re discussing investment in influencer marketing, incredible new AI image creation tools, and paid ads over Black Friday. Wondering how you can use these insights to take your hospitality marketing to the next level? Drop us a message now or call at 0113 255 7285.

AI

• A leak has confirmed that OpenAI is preparing ads on ChatGPT. While it does seem that these ads will initially only be rolled out to the search experience, there are concerns about this, as ChatGPT may have more information on its users than Google has, meaning it could create hyper-personalised ads with higher conversion, reaching 800 million people every week.
• Both OpenAI and Perplexity have unveiled new AI shopping features. 
• New research has shown that AI can already take over the work of 12% of America’s workforce. 
• Google’s Nano Banana Pro is creating incredibly realistic images, raising public concern over whether people will be able to identify fake images. It’s been so popular since its release that they’re restricting free users to two image generations a day.
• Google’s John Mueller has advised sites with low-quality AI content, ‘rethink their site’s purpose’ and start afresh rather than trying to manually rewrite and recover pages. This is because domains with a history that has put them in a ‘bad state’ with Google may take longer to recover.

Marketing

• New social trends for December that are dominating TikTok include ‘winter wishlists’.
• Pinterest continues to back search as ⅔ of all interactions on the platform involve search, which are highly commercial. While it currently only holds 2.8% of US social network ad revenue, its CEO feels it’s the perfect fit for the platform, especially with a high percentage of Gen Z users. 
• You can now add links to your Reels – if you pay for Meta verified. They’ve shared a tired pricing list, including 2 reels with links per month for $49.99 a month. 
• A new Billboard campaign by London agency Insiders has tried to take aim at meta. The campaign, #IgnoredByInsta, targets Meta’s scams, account hacking, and privacy issues, but was stopped before it hit the streets as outdoor media buyers refused to showcase it. 
• You can now schedule posts on your Google Business profile, helping you update customers and guests.
• Many retailers suffered this Black Friday, as 97% of retailers continued to pay for Google Shopping ad clicks after their products went out of stock. It’s a warning for retailers to divert wasted spend, maintain visibility on their ads and stock, and demand more from Google.

Hospitality

• Radisson Hotel Group has launched a Creator Hub. The new program allows nano influencers to apply for partnerships and access a three-night stay at participating hotels with Radisson Rewards benefits and support. It’s another step towards reaching travellers where they’re at, through utilising authentic and unique voices across the globe. 
• Short-Term-Rental hosts are turning to AI, but only 14% said it was actually helpful. 
• Looking back at 2025, the top restaurant trends were:
  • Protein 
  • Shareable desserts
  • Thai, Caribbean, and Turkish cuisines
  • Premium seafood
  • Non-Neapolitan pizzas
  • Posh sandwiches 
• The 2026 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast also shared that protein add-ons will continue to trend next year, but has predicted a shift in other behaviours, with comfort being key. They’re suggesting we’ll see an increase in global comfort food, seeing a rise in interest, alongside a continued importance on allergies, with consumers looking for clear menu labelling and cleaner recipes. 
• Emirates is working with OpenAI to support business requirements. They’re looking at applications for the tech but are deploying ChatGPT Enterprise alongside training in the company. 
• TripAdvisor has released the 2026 Winter Travel Index, revealing that travel and trip planning are actually rising compared to the previous year, with 60% of travellers planning trips this winter. 86% reported that they consider seasonal factors in their trip planning, showcasing the way the holiday season impacts decisions. 

That’s Turn Down wrapped for this week. If you’d like to know more about our approach to hospitality marketing and how we use these insights to turn lookers into bookers, we’re just a message away. Get in touch with Punch today. 

We live and breathe hospitality marketing. That’s why at Punch we compile a weekly Turn Down of all the biggest news in the worlds of hospitality, marketing, and AI to keep our team (and you) informed of the latest research and trends so you can hit your revenue goals. It’s just a part of the market research that informs our strategies and means we’re the perfect choice to help support your hospitality marketing efforts. Sit back, relax, and take in the news this week while we do the leg work.

This week we’re looking at how Google’s AI Overviews have impacted click-through-rates, new ways to compare your social media marketing performance. and how travellers are prioritising experiences and food in their travels. Interested in chatting through the latest with us? Drop us a message now or call at 0113 255 7285.

AI

• Apple is set to pay Google $1 billion per year for a custom Gemini AI model.
• OpenAI is facing seven lawsuits, claiming that ChatGPT drove people to suicide, with calls for better safeguards and the need for tech companies to take accountability. 
• Coca-Cola has faced a lot of backlash across the internet in the last two weeks because of its new AI-generated ad. Its Christmas ad is always hotly anticipated, and the title of this campaign calls back to its 1995 commercial ‘Holidays are Coming’; however, many are pointing out the flaws with the uncanny faces, the logistics of the truck, and the strange movement.. The ad took a month to make with five AI specialists and the creation of 70,000 video clips. 

• TikTok have released three new AI creation tools, including image to video, text to video, and AI transitions. 
• Google Maps is now using Gemini’s chatbot to make route planning and travel even smoother, with users being able to ask questions about their journey in a more conversational way – for example, ‘where can I stop for a budget-friendly meal along the way?’.
• Organic click-through rates for informational queries on Google that feature an AI overview fell by 61% since mid-2024. Paid CTRs on the same queries also struggled, with CTRs falling by 68%. Even on queries that didn’t feature AI overviews, organic CTRs fell by 41%, suggesting that users are clicking less overall on searches, decreasing traffic across the web.
• LLM referral traffic is shrinking, dropping 42.6% since July in B2B. This may be due to ChatGPT 5, which was released in August, showing fewer citations. 

Marketing

• A recent study has shown that 40% of B2B marketers say their biggest content marketing challenge is creating content that prompts a desired action. Additionally, 89% of B2B marketers are using AI for content creation, with 87% of these saying it has improved their productivity. 
• Pinterest shares plummeted in the past week; however, an analyst from the Bank of America is hopeful, sharing how they’re in the early stages of releasing AI-driven gains as they roll out and integrate more of the tool through the platform. 
• Previously unreported documents from Meta show that the company projected last year it would earn 10% of its overall annual revenue from ads for scams and banned goods. The company only bans advertisers if their systems show the marketers are at least 95% certain to be committing fraud, but will charge higher ad rates as a penalty if they are thought to potentially be a scammer.  
• Pinterest have released their festive shopping edit alongside an interactive gifting quiz and gift-getting archetypes, created by partnering with celebrities such as Pamela Anderson and The Jonas Brothers. 
• Instagram has added a Competitive Insights feature, allowing creators to compare their account’s performance to that of other profiles (up to 10, which you can choose and track). 
• Morning Consult has released a report on Gen Alpha’s digital life, with more than one in five Gen Alpha users using social media between 3 and 6 hours every day by age nine.
• Google is dropping search features due to a lack of use, including nutrition facts, nearby offers and events, and the ‘Today’s Doodle’ box.

Hospitality

• Recent research has shown that F&B revenue has grown across luxury and resort hotels in the US in the first half of the year. Beverage spend is down, though with the rise of mindful drinking, but hotels are adapting with the emergence of two new categories – low alcohol and mocktail alternatives. 
• Research from Visit Anaheim has shown that 21% of US travellers have taken trips specifically for the culinary offerings of the destinations. This trend is more popular with Gen Z and millennials, with 44% of Gen Z having taken a ‘foodcation’. 
• Travellers are increasingly focused on experiences, with TripAdvisor shifting its strategy to account for this, restructuring to focus on experiences. This is echoed by Airbnb sharing that nearly half of its experience bookings are unrelated to accommodations. Since its relaunch of experiences, 10% of users booking services had never booked on the platform before.
• Hospitality operators are still feeling the pinch as wholesale prices rise for the sixth consecutive month.

That’s our weekly Turn Down. If you’d like to know more about our approach to hospitality marketing and how we use these insights to turn lookers into bookers, we’re only a message away. Get in touch with Punch today. 

Punch Hospitality, a hospitality marketing and consultancy agency, have pulled together all the top news of the week in the world of AI, hospitality, and marketing so you can sit back, relax, and take in the headlines that are crucial for your hospitality business – because keeping on top of the latest helps us ensure our strategies are crafted expertly and can adapt to keep smashing your revenue goals.

New travel campaigns, a new AI web browser, and the purchasing power of Gen Alpha. Find out all the newest hospitality marketing news in Punch’s Turn Down. And as always, you can get in touch with any questions about hospitality marketing by emailing us or dropping us a call at 0113 255 7285

AI

• OpenAI have released ChatGPT Atlas, a new AI web browser. 
• Reddit has sued Perplexity over scraping Reddit data from Google on an ‘industrial scale’. 

Marketing

• Google has ended its Privacy Sandbox project after 6 years. 
• TikTok have launched subscriber-only photo posts.
• Instagram have launched tabs – an easier way to navigate between your feed, reels, and DMs. 
• Google Merchant Centre has created a centralised issue details page to help advertisers diagnose and resolve issues faster. 
• Google Ads will delete accounts without campaigns after six months. 
• X have launched a new link experience, with the like, share, and comment features still visible on the linked page to make it easier for followers to engage with your posts. 
• E.l.f Cosmetics is the first brand to test the newest ad integration on Twitch, allowing consumers to purchase directly through their livestreams. 
• Side hustles account for 57% of Gen Z’s income in the US. Nearly ¼ consumers have started or expanded side work due to economic pressures, according to a new PYMNTS Intelligence report.
• Gen Alpha consumers possess approximately $28 billion in purchasing power. New data from Numerator reveals that 53% of parents of Gen Alpha children report giving them some sort of weekly allowance, averaging at about $22. The most popular items Gen Alpha consumers purchase with their allowance money are snacks (59%), entertainment (34%), electronics (31%) and beverages (31%). Among 11–14-year-olds, 48% learn about new products from influencers and internet personalities, a rate that now rivals in-store discovery.

Hospitality

• Travellers view an average of 141 pages of travel content in the 45 days prior to booking a trip.
• Sabrina Carpenter is collaborating with Airbnb for a free experience, inviting 20 people to her vintage TV show in a Los Angeles Penthouse. 
• A new OOH British Airways campaign celebrates the beauty of air travel, with four British photographers travelling across three continents and capturing the world through plane windows. 
• United Airlines announces a new limited campaign with several NFL teams. 
• With the global gift card market projected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2029, many hospitality professionals are suggesting this could be a hidden revenue hack for travel companies and hotel groups to end the year strong. 
• 58% of travellers surveyed in Marriott Bonvoy’s 2026 EMEA Ticket to Travel Report now say that it is important that accommodation is ‘solo traveller-friendly’, and nearly half (47%) feel it’s important that accommodation is ‘pet-friendly’.
• The latest research by Travel Counsellors for Business, based on a survey of 1,000 UK SMEs, shows that 76% of respondents now typically extend overseas business trips for leisure or personal time – a sharp increase from 48% in 2024.
• Premium water is now a major concern for restaurant-goers:
  • 37% of UK restaurants surveyed said their demand for non-alcoholic alternatives has increased over the past year.
  • 64% of regular restaurant-goers say they’re now more likely to choose bottled water over a traditional soft drink when dining out.

October’s coming to a close so if you’re starting to think about your 2026 strategy and making next year your most successful one yet, it might be time for you to reach out. Our team of hospitality experts and enthusiasts will be happy to talk to you about your commercial goals and the strategy you need to achieve them. Get in touch with Punch today. 

Punch Hospitality have pulled together all the latest hospitality marketing news from the past week, just for you. Skip the newsletter and delving into reports and get the key highlights of the week, directly from the experts, with overviews and links to find out more. These are the stories that are constantly guiding our strategies and helping us go above and beyond for clients – winning guests and driving revenue. Interested in learning more? Explore the rest of our website.

In this week’s wrap up, we’re covering how the rise of AI search is impacting one of the internet’s most beloved information sources, how Meta is making their platforms safer for children, and what the top travel trends for 2026 will be! And as always, you can get in touch with any questions about hospitality marketing by emailing us or dropping us a call at 0113 255 7285

AI

• Wikipedia (once the go-to site for research and trusted information on the internet) says that traffic is falling, with human pageviews decreasing 8% YoY due to the shifting ways in which people seek information. They cite people turning to Gen AI and social media rather than traditional search for information as the reason for this.
• Reddit’s cofounder, Alexis Ohanian, has stated that ‘much of the internet is now dead’. He referenced the dead internet theory, stating that the internet was ‘quasi-AI’ but believes there’s hope in the future, with group chats booming with human-generated content and discussions. 
• Google has released Veo 3.1, a new AI video generation model that aims to add more realism and has better quality and control for the user. Since launching Flow, Google has said that over 275 million videos have been generated across its Veo models.
• Reddit’s AI tool is in the spotlight as it suggests users use drugs that are illegal in many states and countries. It poses an issue as there’s no current way to turn off or flag a problem with Reddit Answers.

Marketing

• Meta is creating a PG-13 system for Instagram to help protect children using the platform. All users under 18 will be automatically placed into the 13+ setting, but will be able to opt out with their parents’ permission. The setting is intended to tighten restrictions on content that is sexually suggestive, graphic, or contains adult products such as tobacco or alcohol.
• Amazon Web Services faced an outage, leaving dozens of websites and apps, including Duolingo and Canva, down for users internationally. It doesn’t appear to be caused by a cyber-attack. 
• Meta is testing skippable ads on Instagram reels.
• WhatsApp has banned general purpose chatbots. This means travel companies running a bot for customer service won’t be banned from the service but you won’t be able to distribute AI assistants or agents on the platform – which has its own Meta AI integrated.
• Meta released a guide to the festive season, revealing that 63% of shoppers say that meta technologies are likely to influence their purchases in the season and 80% of those following creators purchase a product that they discovered via personalised ads on social media.
• Google introduces collapsible ads on Google Search under a new button: ‘Hide sponsored results’. This is intended to make it easier for people to navigate to the top of the pager and allows users to focus on organic content if they wish.

Hospitality

• American Airlines have introduced a new gen AI tool to help customers with inspiration and planning for their next trip. The guest can just type in a trip idea and the tool will generate a list of recommended destinations with travel dates and fare including an interactive map or discovering attractions. It’ll be coming to the mobile app in the next few weeks. 
• Adding to their current AI tools such as Kayak Price Check and Ask Kayak, travel website Kayak have launched an AI mode in their website that will answer travel related questions. 
• The commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism for the European commission, Apostolos Tzitzikostas has shared their strategic goals: helping destinations transition to more sustainable models, promoting digital innovation, and deepening international partnerships.
• Buy Now, Pay Later company Upgrade have announced they’ve secured $165 million in funding, reflecting their success with major travel brands as consumers continue to turn to these payment options.
• UKinbound have related their latest Business Barometer results, suggesting that the UK’s inbound visitor economy is stable leading into Q4. 40% of respondents have said that visitor numbers for Q4 are expected to be the same as the previous year and 31% have said these bookings are expected to be higher than 2024. On average, businesses are forecasting revenue to grow by 14%.
• Priceline’s 2026 “Where to next?” travel trends report has revealed that on average, travellers are planning to spend 15 days on leisure travel in 2026, with budgets increasing by approximately $350. Nostalgia is driving bookings as well as adventure activities and escaping from digital routines. 
• Booking.com reveal their travel predictions for 2026 including ultra personalised travel experiences and the way the traditional road trip is being redefined among younger generations. 

• Skyscanner have also shared their Travel Trends 2026 report, highlighting culinary tourism, travellers looking at local beauty cultures and an increase in bookings in hotels with mountain views.
• Finally, Expedia Group has also related their annual Travel Trends overview. Alongside a continued interest in local culture and immersive experiences other companies have reported, they noted how hotel hopping was becoming more popular with travellers staying in multiple hotels in the same destination to experience different neighbourhoods or get a better deal.

Ready to start getting serious about attracting more guests in 2026 and beyond? Interested in learning more about the hospitality marketing trends that will be shaping the industry? Our team of hospitality experts and enthusiasts will be happy to talk to you about your commercial goals and the strategy you need to achieve them. Get in touch with Punch today. 

The market research team at Punch Hospitality has gathered the latest news in the sector from the past week, so you can easily stay informed on the key details that will impact your hospitality marketing – without the leg work. At Punch Hospitality, our marketing strategies are driven by data and sector research, which means we can stay on top of the trends and successfully drive revenue for our clients. Interested in learning more? Explore the rest of our website.

But for now, here’s our weekly wrap up, Turn Down. This week we’re covering Googles further roll out of AI Mode, EU’s controversial new border system, and Reddits meteoric rise in commercial and transactional traffic. And as always, you can get in touch with any questions about hospitality marketing by emailing us or dropping us a call at 0113 255 7285

AI 

• Google has introduced AI mode across 40 new countries as it continues its rollout. It’s now available in over 200 countries, allowing users to utilise the latest Gemini models to search in the way that’s most natural to them. 
• A new usability study of Google’s AI mode has found that it holds user attention, and engagement time is high. Clicks are rare (the median number of external clicks per task was 0) and mostly transactional. Users are making their brand judgments directly from AI mode outputs, showing the importance of visibility as opposed to website traffic now. 
• Microsoft shares guidance on optimising your content for inclusion in AI search answers, including how to structure content, schema markup, semantic clarity, and pronunciation. 
• Google is testing AI-generated meta descriptions for SERPs with summaries created by Gemini. 
• ChatGPT has added third-party integration, partnering with travel apps like Booking.com and Expedia. 
• Google has brought its AI image generation tool, Nano Banana, to AI Mode and Google Lens. 
• Design platform Figma will be adding Gemini AI as it announces a partnership with Google. Google’s Gemini models will help address what Figma claims are the ‘evolving needs’ of product designers and their teams.
• Awareness of AI has surged year-on-year as people surveyed who had heard of at least one of 13 AI tools rose from 78% in 2024 to 90% in 2025. Weekly use rose from 18% to 34% and ChatGPT dominates over other AI tools and platforms. More younger people are using generative AI, and information seeking is the leading use case across countries.

Marketing 

• Reddit now generates more traffic from transactional and commercial queries than any other software review site. 
• Google Ads has added image quality recommendations to improve performance. 
• YouTube launches an Activation Partners Program to help advertisers get the most out of their work on YouTube. 
• Long-term influencer ROI was at the same level as TV on the all-channel index average. 
• TikTok is introducing Portfolio to the Creators Marketplace. It will allow creators to showcase their best videos to brands, helping secure fitting collaborations and support influencer marketing efforts. 
• Instagram is hosting its own awards, Rings. 25 users on the platform will receive an award, highlighting the top creators across a range of content topics and communities.
• WhatsApp is trialling a new feature that allows users to add Facebook profile links.

Hospitality 

• VisitSweden have launched a new initiative with medica progressions to offer ‘on prescription’ trips to the country as part of a marketing campaign. The campaign focuses on how holidaymakers can benefit from the county’s restorative experiences, and the ad even features real, professionally respected doctors, including the Vice President of the British Medical Association in the UK. 
• A new EU border system (The Entry Exit System) is being introduced on Sunday, with hospitality and tourism professionals warning it could cost the economy £400 million due to longer waits and delays. 
• A survey of 2,000 US adults who travel for work has shown that younger workers are more likely to invest personal funds to enhance their travel experience, such as 73% of Gen Z willing to pay out of pocket to upgrade accommodation. Younger generations are more willing to share their work travel on social media, and 75% are willing to self-fund luxury dinners and entertainment for better content. 
• Hilton’s 2026 Trends report has shown the rise of the ‘whycation’, highlighting emotional motivations for travel and experience. Home familiarity is becoming more important, travellers are seeking destinations for relaxation, and children are starting to play a role in planning trips.
• Train travel is becoming more popular for families in Europe, with 79% of parents recommending train travel, with 45% saying slowing down and enjoying the scenery was their favourite part of travelling.

The market research team at Punch Hospitality has gathered the latest news in the sector from the past week, so you can easily stay informed on the key details that will impact your hospitality marketing – without the leg work. At Punch Hospitality, our marketing strategies are driven by data and sector research, which means we can stay on top of the trends and successfully drive revenue for our clients. Interested in learning more? Explore the rest of our website.

But for now, here’s our weekly wrap up, Turn Down. This week we’re covering AI adapted for commerce, how Gen Z are shaping European travel, and evolving booking lead times for independent hotels. And as always, you can get in touch with any questions about hospitality marketing by emailing us or dropping us a call at 0113 255 7285

AI 

• From December, Meta will start using AI chats to personalise content and advertising across Facebook and Instagram. Users of Meta AI won’t have the option to opt out.
• Google’s AI Mode has been updated to respond more visually, a move aimed at sparking inspiration. It can now perform more comprehensive analysis of images, running multiple queries in the background, as well as handling shopping queries more visually. 
• OpenAI moves to integrate more commerce with instant checkout and the Agentic Commerce Protocol in the US. US ChatGPT users can buy from Etsy sellers in chat with Shopify merchants, coming soon.  

Marketing 

• 93% of marketers claim influencer content outperforms brand content in terms of reach, and 83% say it outperforms in terms of conversion. The industry is looking more at long-term partnerships rather than one-off collaborations, and it won’t be limited to social anymore. 80% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands that partner with influencers on projects beyond social, including brand trips and in-person events. 
• A recent study has shown that Premium subscribers on X do get a boost in reach – 10x more reach per post compared to regular accounts. They also get a higher median engagement rate, with Premium basic accounts getting, on average, the highest reach of any account type. 

Hospitality 

• A report from The World Travel & Tourism Council claimed the industry will face a workforce shortfall of over 43 million by 2025. 
• Hotels are still the preferred accommodation for overnight travel among US adults, despite the economic climate. Inflation is a concern for 49% travellers, but 50% of US adults still plan to travel overnight for leisure by the end of the year. 80% of hotel guests plan to stay at mid-scale or high-end properties. 
• A study into luxury travel by Hotel Fauchon Paris showed that 70% of advisors indicated that a ‘complimentary night’ was the most appealing offer to clients, followed by added complimentary VIP perks. Loyalty programs are seeing a decline in influence, but of existing loyalty schemes, the most valued benefit is ‘gaining points usable at other properties’.
• Gen Z is leading the way in European Travel spending, with a plan to spend an average of $6,434 on international trips in the next year. The generation is expected to take an average of 3.4 holidays over the next 2 years. Europe is the top travel destination for European travellers, with Italy and Spain being the top countries to visit. 

• 54% of UK consumers don’t trust restaurants to pass 100% of tips onto their staff, despite the introduction of the Allocation of Tips Act 2023. 
• 70% of Americans aged 50+ plan to travel this year, up from the previous year. Trips from older travellers are also increasing in duration and are being booked within 9 months of departure – a shorter booking pattern than pre-pandemic. While the travellers are becoming more confident with digital tools, they still need a high level of trust as they’re concerned about potential scams. 
• According to SiteMinder, only 16% of small hotels are focused on attracting new guests due to the demands of operations.
• An analysis of over 600,000 reservations from independent hotels across Europe has shown that the average booking lead time has increased to 53 days. Extended stays are becoming more common, too. Ancillary revenue sales experienced a 5% increase YoY, especially across F&B sales, family-oriented add-ons, and pet-friendly services.

With so many updates constantly hitting the world of hospitality marketing, our marketing and strategy team at Punch Hospitality have pulled together the key information to help keep you informed of what could impact your hotel, restaurant, or hospitality business. This week on Punch Hospitality’s Turn Down we’re covering Instagram’s latest changes, Gen Z B2B spending behaviour, and hands-free, proactive AI for consumers.

Marketing

• Pinterest launches Top of Search ads, with a 29% higher average click-through rate than standard campaigns. The ads appear directly within the top ten search results and related pins, meaning your brand can be visible to users where visual shopping journeys begin. 
• 1 in 5 Americans now regularly get news on TikTok, up sharply from 2020. More than half of TikTok users say they regularly get news from the platform.  
• Instagram now has more than 3 billion active users – a feat only rivalled by Facebook and WhatsApp, which hit 3 billion users early this year.  Instagram hit 2 billion in October 2022. 
  • They’re also looking into letting users tune their algorithms, giving them options to remove and add topics based on watch history and interests. 
  • Facebook does still seem to be declining in popularity. In 2014, 71% of US teens used Facebook, while in 2022, only 33% of the demographic did. 
• Facebook and Instagram are introducing a subscription in the UK for users to not see ads. This will be priced at £2.99 a month on the web and £3.99 a month on iOS and Android. This is being done in response to regulatory guidance from the ICO to give people in the UK the choice as to whether their data is used for personalised advertising. 

• YouTube is pushing age verification to restrict the activities of children on the platform, including setting video uploads to private by default. 
• Content creators on YouTube contributed £2.2 billion to the UK economy last year. An all-party parliamentary group has been launched to represent UK creators and influencers. They claim creators need more rights.
• Google Ads can now surface a recommendation to link unlinked Google Analytics accounts to your Google Ads account with just one click. Marketers who have these accounts linked see a 23% increase in conversions.  
• 71% of B2B buyers are now Millennials or Gen Z. These younger buyers expect a seamless experience pre and post sale, think about value beyond economic, such as experiential value and want to co-create with you, shaping your products and services. 
• LinkedIn are integrating more data from Microsoft to expand LinkedIn’s ad targeting capacity. 
• By 2030, Gen Z will make up 25% of luxury spending. 

Hospitality

• Amid worries of a US governmental shutdown, a survey from Ipsos has shown that 60% of Americans said they would cancel or avoid trips by air in the event of a shutdown.
• The AA Hospitality Awards celebrated the best of UK hospitality last week, with new rosette winners announced. 

AI

• ChatGPT have released a version of ChatGPT Pulse to their Pro users on mobile, allowing ChatGPT to proactively deliver updates based on connected apps and information. It utilises information during the night and delivers personalised updates the next day, such as follow-ups on topics you often discuss or a reminder to buy a birthday gift.
• Search Live has launched in the UK, letting users share their camera feed and communicate with AI hands-free. 
• Gemini is now being added to Google TV, letting you have ‘free-flowing’ conversations with an AI-powered assistant to find the perfect show quicker and get recaps.
• Microsoft have developed a new method for AI chip cooling, using microfluidics. However, they haven’t claimed this will impact the energy usage that’s problematic in AI or contribute towards further sustainability measures.

This week on Punch Hospitality’s Turn Down we’re covering social media changes, studies on AI usage, and corporate traveller behaviour. Our marketing and strategy team have compiled some of the latest hospitality, marketing, and AI updates into one easy read, just for you.

Marketing

• Google’s removal of the num=100 parameter has sent shockwaves across SEO, with 87.7% of sites losing impressions in GSC. Short tail and mid tail keywords took the biggest hit.
• Beano Brain’s Coolest Brands 2025 have been revealed, with YouTube topping the list for the second year running. Nike, Netflix, Nintendo, and KitKat also claim top ten positions. 
• TikTok’s comment with an image is rolling out to more users.
• TikTok have launched a new shared feed feature, so users can combine their feed with a friend.  
• New York is proposing a law that could require social media platforms to introduce age verification. 
• Meta is gradually introducing ads in WhatsApp status. 
• WhatsApp now lets you add verified profile links. 
• YouTube is addressing lower view counts, stating the most likely explanation is due to ad blockers. For some channels, views on computers have dropped by around 50%. 
• All brands signed up to the LinkedIn Premium Company page plan will not be able to request verification. 
• Edelman has shared a report on the Great Gen Z Divide, splitting US Gen Z into two cohorts with distinctive behaviour.
• Google has added an achievements section to Google Search Console, allowing users a fun way to track their site’s progress. 

AI

• OpenAI has announced plans to introduce an automated age-predicated system to determine if users of ChatGPT are over 18. Younger users will only be allowed to access a restricted version of the chatbot, and in some cases, the company may ask for ID. 
• OpenAI has conducted its largest study of ChatGPT consumer usage to date. It showed:
  • Gender gaps have narrowed, with 52% of users using a typically feminine name. 
  • ChatGPT adoption growth rates in low-income countries were 4 times higher than those in the highest-income countries. 
  • ¾ of consumer conversations focus on practical guidance, with 49% of messages being ‘asking’ and 40% of queries being task-oriented. 
  • 30% of consumer usage was work-related. 
• ⅓ of publishers in the Independent Publishers Alliance are predicted to go out of business by the end of 2026 as AI search reduces traffic and clicks. 
• Google is further integrating AI into Chrome with a ‘Gemini in Chrome’ mode to allow Gen AI to answer questions about content on a page. It’s available right now to all desktop users in the US, but may be rolled out further. 
• LinkedIn research shows that younger B2B buyers will rely on networks to vet brands over AI-generated content, with 77% of 18-24 year olds saying no amount of AI will replace insights from trusted colleagues. 
• AI developers reveal they cannot currently train the model not to scheme (deliberately mislead humans). 

Hospitality

• Criterion Capital has launched phase one of opening the world’s largest capsule hotel in the London Pavilion. The Zedwell Capsule Hotel Piccadilly Circus offers nearly 1,000 individual capsules at £30 a night, perfect for budget-conscious tourists and business travellers to the city.  
• Hospitality insolvencies rise in the UK, becoming a worrying trend for the industry. The number of insolvencies has risen YoY as hotels, pubs, and restaurants are forced to cut jobs to make ends meet.  
• 64% of global travellers would pay for an assistant that could provide in-trip information – an encouraging statistic for those developing AI travel assistants.  
• 61% of travellers say they booked a hotel after seeing it on Instagram, and 71% of Gen Z and Millennials prefer booking places that align with their values or support a cause.
• Deloitte’s latest corporate travel survey revealed some complex views on the industry, with many fearing future budget cuts and cost remaining a high factor in planning travel for business. Forty-nine per cent of business travellers surveyed say they always use corporate booking tools. 3 in 4 travel managers surveyed (74%) report expanding budgets this year, similar to 2024 (73%). However, the share anticipating budget cuts is up from 6% to 10%, and they expect their budgets to shrink by an average of 28%.
• UKHospitality is predicting that 110,000 jobs will have been lost across the hospitality sector by the November Budget.
• Nearly 40% of American travellers opt for upgrades in airline seats or hotel rooms, with a significant portion being higher-income individuals.

This week on Punch Hospitality’s Turn Down, we’re delving into social media algorithm updates, how company’s are tackling the introduction of AI into their marketing teams, and restaurants adjusting offering to changing consumer appetites. Our marketing and strategy team have compiled some of the latest hospitality, marketing, and AI updates into one easy read, just for you.

Hospitality

• The Fat Duck (Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant) is considering introducing smaller portions to fit the needs of guests now taking Ozempic and other weight loss drugs. This understanding of changing appetites and willingness to evolve to diner’s needs allows the restaurant to continue thriving during a time of stress on many hospitality establishments. It’s a move many find controversial but may be the start of a trend as more people are now on GLP-1 drugs (7% of the UK population) than follow a vegan diet.
• Brian Chesky, co-founder of Airbnb, recently discussed his plan to turn Airbnb into the ‘everything platform’ after introducing experiences alongside their accommodations services. He stated he wants to create the ‘ultimate AI concierge for travel and life’, integrating AI search into the Airbnb app next year.
• 22% of U.S. travellers who use search engines for travel planning are already using AI-generated results.
• According to Hotels.com 2025 Hotel Room Insights survey, More than half of hotels (56%) say they feel pressure to keep upgrading their tech.
• London is considering implementing a ‘tourist tax’, like Manchester, Liverpool, and Paris already have in place. This is expected to raise in the region of £250 million a year to be reinvested in the capital.

Marketing

• Meta shared that:
  • Over half of time spent on Instagram is with Reels.
  • Reels sees 4.5 billion shares daily.
  • 85% of Gen Z surveyed say they’ve followed a business, and 80% have made a purchase after watching a Reel.
• 39% of US adults are using TikTok multiple times a week, and the growth of TikTok users 45 and over is outpacing the growth of younger demographics.
• Meta have introduced new Instagram follow metrics with the ability for advertisers to customise. Now brands can see the follow rate and the cost per Instagram follow at campaign, ad set, and ad level.
• Posting multiple stories a day on Instagram will now not decrease your reach of those stories.

AI

• Phocuswright has found that only 37% of travellers trust the answers they get from generative AI tools like ChatGPT.
• AI Mode is now available in five more languages worldwide including Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese.
• 91% of SEOs reported that clients have asked about their company’s AI search visibility within the past year. 75% say their SEO team is in charge of their AI search optimisation, but only 47% say they’ve changed their SEO process for most/all of their sites to include AI search work.

If you got something out of this edition of Turn Down, make sure you take a look at last week’s post and drop us a message  with any burning questions about the world of hospitality marketing.