The travel industry has spent years trading opinions about what AI will do to planning and booking. No more hypotheticals. Our new research, The Rise of AI Planned Travel in 2026, based on a survey of 300 US leisure travelers, shows the shift is already influencing real booking behavior: 78% of travelers who use AI say they’ve booked travel primarily based on an AI recommendation.
NB: This is an article from TakeUp
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The results are clear. AI has crossed an important threshold. It’s no longer just influencing travel decisions. It’s actively driving them.
Awareness Is Nearly Universal, But Behavior Is What Matters
This new research shows that 90% of travelers are already aware that AI can help plan or book travel. That part isn’t surprising.
What’s more interesting is what happens after first use.
Only 38% of travelers say they’ve actively used AI for trip planning so far. But among those who have, adoption accelerates fast. 63% now rely on AI for most or every trip they plan. 96% say they will probably or definitely use AI again for their next trip.
This isn’t casual experimentation. It’s habit formation.
What we’re seeing is a classic behavior shift. Travelers don’t abandon familiar planning routines until they experience something meaningfully better. Once they do, they don’t go back.
AI Isn’t Just Saving Time. It’s Changing Confidence
The most obvious benefit travelers cite is efficiency in trip planning. Nearly four out of five AI users say AI tools save them at least one to three hours per trip by streamlining research-heavy work like comparing options, narrowing down accommodations, and summarizing reviews.
But time savings alone don’t explain the stickiness.
38% of AI users say they feel more confident in their decisions. 35% say AI helps them discover places they wouldn’t have found otherwise. In other words, AI isn’t just compressing the planning process. It’s reducing decision fatigue and increasing confidence at the same time.
That combination matters. When people feel both faster and smarter, adoption compounds quickly.
Trust Has Formed Faster Than Expected
One of the most striking findings in the research is how quickly travelers have learned to trust AI.
94% of AI users say they trust AI travel recommendations at least as much as traditional sources like review platforms, booking sites, or word-of-mouth. One in four trust AI more.
At the same time, travelers aren’t blindly following AI outputs. Most still verify recommendations. They check reviews on TripAdvisor or Google. They cross-reference booking sites. They ask friends or family.
This matters because it shows AI isn’t replacing the travel ecosystem. It’s reorganizing it.
AI is becoming the first filter. Traditional tools provide confirmation. The order has changed.
AI Is Already Driving Real Bookings
This is the point where the conversation has to move beyond curiosity.
78% of AI users say they have booked travel based primarily on an AI recommendation. Nearly half have done so multiple times.
That tells us something important about how decisions are being made today. Travelers are increasingly comfortable delegating the heavy lifting to AI and acting on its guidance, rather than manually comparing dozens of options themselves.
Browsing is giving way to delegation. Confirmation replaces exploration.
What This Means for Hotels and Experience Providers
For accommodations and experience providers, this shift has real implications for visibility and demand.
More than three-quarters of travelers say it is very or extremely important that hotels appear in AI-generated recommendations. 84% say a trusted AI recommendation would make them more likely to book a specific property.
In practical terms, discovery is no longer just about ranking well on OTAs or appearing in search results. It’s about being legible to AI.
That means your property information needs to be:
- Accurate and consistent everywhere it appears
- Clearly structured around amenities, location, policies, and value
- Aligned with how travelers actually ask questions, not just how marketers like to describe things
AI can’t confidently recommend what it can’t confidently understand. And when AI hesitates, travelers hesitate.
The Bigger Shift Is Mental, Not Technical
Zooming out, this research isn’t just about tools. It’s about mindset.
Travel planning is shifting from effort-driven to outcome-driven. Travelers care less about the process and more about getting to a confident decision quickly.
AI fits that mindset perfectly.
For travel brands, the takeaway is not “add AI because it’s trendy.” It’s to understand that the decision funnel itself is changing. The front door to discovery is moving. The brands that adapt early will earn visibility, trust, and momentum. The ones that don’t risk becoming invisible to travelers who are letting AI do the choosing.
Download the full report, The Rise of AI Planned Travel in 2026. It offers detailed findings and actionable insights for independent hospitality leaders ready to see what AI can actually do – beyond the hype.
