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There’s a more intelligent way to make travel plans.
Integrating artificial intelligence is the future of travel and tourism, but a new Beach.com survey revealed that while adoption of AI for travel planning is high, trust and confidence in the system remain low.
According to the survey of over 1,000 US travelers, 77% of Americans said they would trust using AI for trip planning — and during the previous year 46% indeed did use it to plan their trip.
However, just 32% said they would be comfortable relying solely on AI to book their vacation.
Sarah Silbert, managing editor at Points Path, agreed with travelers’ skepticism.
“I would be wary of handing over all the travel planning to AI,” she warned The Post, saying it’s a “great first step.”
As for next steps, read on to find out in what ways Silbert and other experts would take advantage of AI before booking a trip.
Be specific
Silbert explained that using AI tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini is ideal for narrowing down options, especially if there are specific details and parameters to look for or avoid, such as finding a hotel that meets everyone’s needs.
RVshare travel expert Fiorella Yriberry agreed, noting that asking generic questions will lead AI to fall short, giving vague recommendations that likely won’t suit your travel needs.
Instead, travelers who want to use AI should be specific about their travel style and preferences, as well as give examples of what they like and don’t like.
Fill in the gaps
AI chat tools can be a good supplement for coming up with an itinerary and lists of things to do, places to see or restaurants to eat at after the “big things” like the destination, flights and hotels are already planned, Silbert said.
Especially for travelers who just have a general sense of what they’re looking for but is open to suggestions, AI could be beneficial for the start of trip planning. For example, Silbert said, someone who is looking for a wine-focused trip somewhere in South America or Europe — but nothing in particular — could use AI tools to narrow down the options.
“It’s best at providing suggestions and coming up with a shortlist of options, but you shouldn’t trust it to make the final call on anything, especially when it comes to timing flights and transportation, since making mistakes could be costly,” Silbert shared.
Find fun for all
Planning family vacations can benefit from AI as well. Parents can use these tools to help balance kid-friendly attractions with precise planning and detailed information about each activity, Yriberry said.
“By giving AI details like your children’s ages, family interests, and preferred travel pace, it can recommend destinations, activities, and share helpful tips like best hours to visit, where to purchase tickets, and easy parking options,” she explained.
Especially on road trips, AI can be useful for finding rest stops, playgrounds, family-friendly dining or other stops along the way.
Do your homework
As always, it’s vital to compare information provided by AI with your own research.
However, this approach may backfire because ChatGPT may recommend the same places to many users, so they’re likely to be more crowded. “It just amplifies the ‘Instagrom effect’ of everyone going to the same overpopulated, popular trendy places,” noted one traveler who posted about their experience using ChatGPT on Reddit.
“Never take AI’s word for anything,” Silbert said. “As ChatGPT and all the other tools will tell you themselves, they can make mistakes, and I’ve experienced first-hand how they can give inaccurate information. So double-check any specifics, especially if they will make or break your travel plans.”
“That could mean looking on Yelp or TripAdvisor to confirm that a resort is really a good option, or going on Reddit and seeing what actual travelers recommend for someone with your same questions.”
Travel AI-gencies can help
Meanwhile, some online travel agencies and search engines are starting to integrate AI-powered tools into their own systems.
Expedia has a tool that allows travelers to turn their social media finds into travel plans — making it possible to book directly from Instagram. Users share an Instagram travel reel with Expedia and receive customized itineraries, destination ideas and travel tips based on the footage.
The Expedia app for ChatGPT as well as KAYAK‘s AI Mode allows users to ask nuanced questions — the way they would talk to another person — to get dynamic prices, interactive maps and personalized recommendations directly in the chat.
For example, users can ask, “Find me direct flights from New York to Paris in March for under $500,” or, “Do you think there’s a better chance of seeing the Northern Lights in Sweden vs. Finland in February?” and, “What time should I leave for the airport from the Upper East Side to make a 7 a.m. flight to Berlin out of LGA?”
“Think of it as the best of both worlds for travelers,” Kate Williams, KAYAK travel trends expert and CCO, told The Post, by getting real-time pricing and comprehensive travel information, “with the conversational convenience of ChatGPT.”
