Bloomberg Talks Booking Holdings President & CEO Glenn Fogel Talks AI Competition, Global Travel
5 snips
Feb 19, 2026 
Glenn Fogel, President and CEO of Booking Holdings and leader of Priceline and OpenTable, discusses AI competition and global travel trends. He talks about how AI will change booking tools but not fully replace complex travel operations. He explains partnerships with AI platforms, talent strategy, and why travel demand — especially among higher-income travelers — still shows momentum.
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AI Viewed As Positive Force
- Glenn Fogel says AI is a net positive for Booking Holdings and their recent results reflect strong execution.
- He expects benefits to appear over time as customers and partners see practical improvements from AI.
Why Google Pulled Back From Bookings
- Glenn explains why past large tech attempts at bookings, like Google's 'book on Google', struggled and pulled back.
- He recounts the complexity of working with 4 million properties and the operational, pricing, and regulatory tasks that underpin bookings.
Operational Depth Is A Competitive Moat
- Booking emphasizes deep supplier relationships, loyalty (Genius), and operational connectivity as competitive moats.
- Fogel argues stitching flights, hotels, ground transport and attractions together with AI and service creates superior outcomes customers will trust.