This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Whether you're a seasoned tourist or an emerging explorer, delegating travel planning to artificial intelligence (AI) agents is becoming the norm for many travelers. A new Edith Cowan University (ECU) study of more than 400 Australian travelers set out to discover the most influential drivers behind our decisions to delegate travel planning to AI and our threshold for trust.
The paper is published in the journal Tourism Management Perspectives. ECU professor of marketing and service science Sanjit Roy, from ECU's School of Business and Law, said the use of responsible AI in tourism is critically important—not only for planning great experiences but also for ensuring travelers are prepared when things go wrong. "Responsible use of AI gives more certainty that trips will be smooth sailing, but vacationers need to ensure they aren't left out of pocket or at a disadvantage when something goes wrong," Roy said.
The need to safeguard against the trip of a lifetime turning into a miserable experience means travelers must be willing to become AI-savvy. Conversely, AI needs to do the right thing by the user. "Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is becoming an integral part of travel planning and revolutionizing travel through automated planning systems," he said.
"Customers need to be able to trust AI agents to comfortably outsource building their itineraries." A recent survey of adult travelers revealed 28.8% of Australians use GenAI to find deals, check out destinations and create their own travel itineraries. Among Gen Z travelers, Australian government research puts the figure at 30%. This fundamental transformation is changing the definition of travel decision delegation.
The ECU study analyzed data collected from 421 Australian travelers, highlighting five key responsible AI characteristics travelers used to evaluate information produced by GenAI. "Our findings tell us that travelers consider using GenAI for travel planning based on five characteristics: reliability, accountability, trustworthiness, fairness and transparency. In particular, reliability and accountability play a crucial role in planning travel experiences," Roy explained.
"Travelers were more likely to use AI when they perceived it as reliable and believed its providers could be held accountable for its recommendations and for addressing problems when they arise. "Accountability of AI plays a significant role in building trust among travelers." Interestingly, too much information steered travelers away from using GenAI. "We found that excessive transparency reduces our willingness to delegate travel planning to GenAI—meaning the mental burden of processing, cross-checking and translating information is not worth it," Roy said.
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