Customers can add “On the Beach” in ChatGPT Apps
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On the Beach announces ChatGPT Apps integration for holiday search
On the Beach, a UK online travel agent, has announced an integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT Apps. The idea is to let customers describe the holiday they want in natural language and receive real-time package deals generated from millions of combinations, complete with a direct booking link. The company says it is the first UK online travel agent to connect to ChatGPT Apps. Public availability will depend on OpenAI’s approval and rollout process.
As with other early adopters, customers can add “On the Beach” in ChatGPT Apps, then start a search by tagging @On the Beach. Travellers can freely set out their criteria and refine the brief with follow-up questions in a conversational exchange. The service is intended to return packages, flights and hotels with up-to-date availability and pricing, along with a link to book. “Holiday search doesn’t always start with a destination in mind, or a set of filters - it’s more often an idea, a bit of inspiration, or even a spontaneous mid-week search when the weather at home is terrible!” said Gemma Lapington, Group Product Manager at On the Beach.
ChatGPT, the place to be
On the Beach says it is seeing a year-on-year increase in visits originating from large language models, suggesting more travellers are using these tools to fuel inspiration and shape plans. “It takes the hard work out of shortlisting the right holiday, removing the need for rigid filters or multiple tabs,” Lapington said. “Customers simply describe what they want and can refine it as they go by asking follow-up questions, conversationally. We then provide live, bookable deals from millions of available holiday combinations.” The aim is to capture intent-led queries, last-minute ideas or themed wishes and convert them more quickly into bookable baskets.
On the Beach joins a broader industry shift towards ChatGPT’s conversational apps. By autumn 2025, Booking.com and Expedia were among the first major travel brands to enable reservations from OpenAI’s interface. Since then, Accor has launched ALL Accor for hotel search and booking, Skyscanner has rolled out its app in the UK and the US for flight comparison, while Lighthouse, via The Hotels Network, has pushed a more direct hotel-booking approach from within ChatGPT. In this landscape, On the Beach’s initiative reflects brands’ growing desire to capture demand from the inspiration phase inside conversational AI interfaces.
