The internet as we know it is undergoing a fundamental transformation.
For three decades, the web was built for humans: visual, click-based, page-oriented. Now the paradigm is shifting radically. In the emerging agentic phase of the internet, it's no longer just humans interacting with websites. Autonomous AI agents are taking over research, evaluation, and transactions. Browsing becomes delegation.
At the center of this evolution stands WebMCP — the Web Model Context Protocol. This new web standard enables websites to expose their functions in a structured, machine-readable way. For the tourism industry, this represents nothing less than a strategic redistribution of digital power.
The Problem: AI Systems as Blind Interpreters
Until now, AI systems had to "understand" websites the way humans do. They analyzed screenshots, identified buttons based on visual patterns, and attempted to fill forms pixel by pixel. This approach was computationally intensive, slow, and error-prone. A small design change could break the entire interaction logic.
The Solution: From Visual Interpretation to Direct Execution
WebMCP eliminates the visual middleman. Instead of analyzing web pages, websites now declare their functions explicitly as structured tools.
A booking form is no longer understood as a collection of input fields, but as a clearly defined function with parameters and expected outputs. AI agents can execute these functions directly — no visual detours, no guesswork.
The shift is profound: From "read and click" to "understand and execute."
Strategic Implications for Tourism
For hotels and destinations, WebMCP implementation becomes a competitive necessity. Properties that expose their booking, availability, and service functions as structured tools will be preferred by AI agents. Those that don't risk becoming invisible in the agentic economy.
By Prof. DDr. Roman Egger