Use of AI for holiday inspiration doubles in a year

Twice as many people are using artificial intelligence (AI) for holiday planning inspiration than a year ago, a new survey suggests.

Travel trade organisation Abta, which commissioned the poll, described the technology as a “creative co-pilot” people can use to research, plan and book their trips.

Some 8% of respondents to a survey of 2,001 UK adults conducted in July said they use AI to give them inspiration for deciding where to go on holiday.

That is up from 4% a year earlier.

Abta director of communications Graeme Buck said there is “a potential for this acceleration” to continue, adding: “I wouldn’t be surprised if that 8% becomes 16% next year.”

The latest version of the poll indicated that people aged 25-34 are most likely to use the technology to stimulate holiday ideas, with 18% of respondents in that category saying they do so.

That was followed by 35 to 44-year-olds (14%).

For people 65 and above, the figure was just 1%.

AI for travel covers services such as chatbots and tools for translation and creating itineraries.

More than two out of five (43%) respondents to the survey said they would have some level of confidence using AI to plan a holiday, dropping to 38% for going one step further and making a booking.

Steve Heapy, chief executive of airline and tour operator Jet2, told an audience of travel industry leaders at Abta’s annual convention in Calvia, Spain, that technology such as AI will “continue to become a bigger part of what customers do before they book”.

He went on: “We’re all going to have to work harder to justify the margin that we want to earn by demonstrating superior knowledge of the product and providing that anticipation and excitement.”

Neil Swanson, UK managing director of tour operator Tui, predicted that AI will “completely transform” the travel industry, but many customers will still want to speak to a human travel agent to book their trips.

He said: “That is not going away anytime soon, in my view, because of that group of customers who value that.

“They use the technology a lot of those customers, but they still want to go in and look someone in the eye when they’re booking something.

“They value that trust element.”

Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “The challenge is to harness the potential which AI has to support our businesses, while continuing to celebrate and champion the value of the personal touch and expertise which comes with booking with a travel agent or tour operator.”