What is the look-to-book ratio?
Updated By Akkrev
The look-to-book ratio compares how many searches a booking system handles to how many bookings result. AI agents searching repeatedly can push it up.
The look-to-book ratio is the number of availability searches (“looks”) per actual booking. Travel systems watch it closely because every search costs something to serve.
Why agents affect it
An AI agent can run many searches for one request: different dates, nearby hotels, re-checks when a budget isn’t met. Skift has noted that Meta’s Muse re-searching in this way could inflate look-to-book ratios and raise costs for suppliers.
What it means for hotels
Higher search volume from agents is a sign of demand, not abuse. The risk is that booking engines or security tools react by blocking automated searches outright, which would block real agent bookings along with them.
Why it matters for AI visibility
As agents search more, look-to-book ratios rise. Being recommended means more of those looks are for you.