Nearly four in 10 U.S. travelers have used generative AI (gen AI) when researching their trips in the past 12 months, using either AI platforms like ChatGPT or AI-powered search features such as Google’s AI Mode. According to Phocuswright’s latest research report Search Slips, AI Surges: Travel’s New Front Door?, this is an 11-point increase in just one year. And while general search still leads all other research tools, its share is dropping as AI usage grows, raising the question of whether gen AI platforms could eventually overtake traditional search as the most-used online trip planning resource.
Millennials currently lead gen AI adoption for travel. This may seem counterintuitive given Gen Z’s tech fluency, but Gen Z continues to rely more on social channels for trip planning. As their trip volume and complexity increases, Gen Z may increasingly turn to gen AI for inspiration, efficiency and synthesis.
AI-using travelers are a high-value segment. They skew younger yet report higher median household income, take more trips (including international) and spend more annually on travel. They also research more extensively across both online and offline sources.
Among AI users, most utilized AI for multiple trips and the vast majority made at least one travel decision from the results they received from their inquiries.
Along with usage itself, comfort with using AI is rising as travelers are reporting being more comfortable than a year ago, except for baby boomers. Notably, among those who used AI for their trips, their comfort level with AI compared to a year ago is nearly double that of total travelers.
Nevertheless, trust remains a hurdle. Friends and family continue to be the most influential resource, and traveler reviews are still trusted more than most other sources, signaling the enduring value of perceived peer authenticity. Even so, AI has quickly reached parity with longstanding resources like travel publications and supplier content, cementing its place as an important resource in the travel-planning journey.
Phocuswright’s Search Slips, AI Surges: Travel’s New Front Door? is part of a comprehensive consumer research study examining how U.S. travelers integrate generative AI into trip planning and booking, reshaping the way they search, decide and spend.
Key questions addressed include:
- How rapidly is AI adoption expanding among U.S. travelers, and which demographic segments are driving it?
- How is generative AI affecting traditional search, review sites and other trip-planning tools?
- What defines the emerging “AI traveler” and what are their demographics, spending habits and decision-making processes?
- How much trust do travelers place in AI-generated results, and where do human input and authenticity still hold sway?
Related research: Chat, Plan, Book: GenAI Goes Mainstream
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