Meta's Muse AI Agent Sparks Sell-off in Travel Stocks

Shares of Expedia, Booking, and Airbnb have declined significantly following the September 8 launch of Meta's AI agent, Muse. Between September 4 and September 23, Booking fell 19.1%, Airbnb dropped 17.8%, and Expedia declined 13.1%, while Meta's stock rose 20.6%. Market concerns center on Muse's ability to handle flight and hotel bookings directly, potentially bypassing traditional travel platforms. While flight bookings are already being facilitated via Duffel, hotel bookings still largely rely on browser-based interactions with these platforms. Expedia has announced plans to integrate with Muse, though the market remains wary of the long-term shift in how users access travel services.