How we designed a storefront for the next wave of travelers: the Travel Mixologist
How do you find the latest hidden travel gem? Paradoxically, for millions of travelers, it all starts on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube. Something will catch their eye: maybe a waterfall in the Azores, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Bangkok, or an incredible hotel in Albania. With a location in mind, they’re scouring for the best flight deals, hotel rates, and activities across different websites and fleshing out an itinerary with the help of artificial intelligence-powered tools, which are then cross-referenced on Reddit, TripAdvisor or Google.
Meet the Travel Mixologists
In an age where online trust is at a premium, travel mixologists are crafting unique travel experiences by blending inspiration and tips from other travelers’ first-hand experiences shared across a variety of different websites and platforms.
Amadeus isn’t the only company to have observed this travel trend: TikTok’s travel lead Hannah Bennet says purposeful travel search on the app has surged 131 percent year-over-year, and 46% of users look up travel content weekly.
What happens beyond the inspirational moment: tackling a key travel industry challenge
So how can travel brands transform social media inspiration into increased brand consideration with the ability to capture intent and preference signals? This is one of the most recent innovation challenges we decided to tackle at Amadeus, where connecting inspiration and data in a coherent flow is increasingly critical. Our answer to this question is the Amadeus Travel Storefront, which bridges Travel Mixology's multi-sourced discovery with curated and trustworthy AI-powered exploration, bringing together inspiration, structured travel content and availability in one place within the brand’s own website.
Turning creator inspiration into sales
To bring this vision to life, Amadeus works with partners like obvlo and blinkoo, whose expertise in AI-powered destination content and user‑generated video content helps travel brands turn inspiration into meaningful engagement. By sourcing authentic, hyperlocal creator content and organizing it within a branded, bookable environment, these partners play a key role in helping the Amadeus Travel Storefront bridge the gap between discovery, consideration and eventually booking.
"Travelers want to explore, compare and curate before they commit. With the Amadeus Travel Storefront, hyperlocal creator content is organized with AI and paired with features like ‘My List’, so inspiration doesn’t disappear — it becomes a confident, considered decision."
Callum McPherson CEO, obvlo
"Travel inspiration today starts with short‑form video, but too often it ends there. By bringing authentic, user‑generated stories directly into the Amadeus Travel Storefront, we help travelers move seamlessly from scrolling to considering and finally booking — all in one trusted place."
Smeraldo Meminaj CEO & Co-Founder, blinkoo
Why we all need to mix it up, to get the Travel Mixologist’s attention
Travel Mixologists don’t follow a linear path to booking; they explore, compare, save and curate before committing. The opportunity for travel brands lies in this high‑intent consideration stage, where trust is built and decisions take shape. The Amadeus Travel Storefront is designed for this moment, bringing together creator‑led inspiration, hyperlocal user‑generated content and AI‑supported exploration in one trusted, bookable environment. By grounding inspiration in trusted content and structured travel data, the Amadeus Travel Storefront helps turn fragmented discovery into confident action.
What is Amadeus Travel Storefront?
Amadeus Travel Storefront is a white label solution that sits in your brands website, whether you are an airline, travel seller, or a destination marketing organization. This storefront extends the inspirational moment with user generated videos followed by both inspirational and practical information from must-see tourist highlights to local hidden gems and everything in between. Combining that with features such as the map, weather, local events and seasonal planning tips, the Storefront invites travelers to linger, explore and even share with fellow travelers until they can plan and book their perfect trip.
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