Travelers are already using artificial intelligence to organize their trips faster than the tourism industry is adapting, according to a new study by Mindtrip, Sabre, Sojern and MMGY Travel Intelligence.
The study shows that 54% of U.S. travelers have already used AI to plan a trip and 75% plan to use it in the future. At the same time, only 22% of destination marketing organizations (DMOs) currently offer AI tools for travel planning on their websites, while just 26% have a documented AI strategy.
This gap between demand and readiness is the key finding of the study, with 72% of DMO leaders believing that those who fail to adopt AI within the next two years risk becoming less relevant in destination discovery.
How travelers use AI
According to the findings, AI has already moved beyond the stage of simple inspiration into the more practical part of travel planning. Travelers primarily use it for researching routes and travel itineraries, comparing flights, hotels and tours, as well as searching for destination ideas.
Its use is particularly strong among younger age groups. Nearly 7 in 10 Millennials (69%) and 63% of Gen Z travelers say they use AI assistants as often as social media when planning trips.
The study also reports that 40% of travelers have discovered a destination through AI, while 29% have changed their plans because of a recommendation they received from an AI system.
What travelers now expect from destinations
The study shows that travelers do not see AI only as a source of inspiration. 60% use it to research attractions, restaurants and transportation, 56% for price comparisons and 43% to create itineraries and organize trip details.
At the same time, nearly two-thirds, or 63%, say they would use an AI trip planner directly on a destination website. In contrast, 25% say they are less likely to use a destination website that does not offer AI features.
However, only 20% of DMO leaders consider itinerary organization a particularly valuable capability, even though travelers already rank it among the most common uses of AI.
The next phase: from inspiration to booking
The study also records greater readiness for AI-assisted booking. More than one-third of travelers already say they are comfortable with AI participating in the booking process, with higher acceptance among Millennials and Gen Z.
This comfort increases significantly when travelers know that human support is available, if needed. For the industry, this means that the use of AI is no longer limited to content creation, but is increasingly connected to the experience of searching, planning and booking.
As Michelle Denogean, CMO of Mindtrip, noted, travelers are not waiting for the industry to catch up, as AI is already changing the way they discover destinations, create itineraries and make travel decisions.
From Sojern, Sylvia Weiler said that the shift resembles the transition brought about by online booking, while Brad Johnson of Sabre emphasized that destination organizations now have the opportunity to connect more meaningfully with the travel journey, from inspiration to booking.
For tourism professionals, the message of the study is clear: AI is no longer viewed as an experimental tool, but as a key channel for destination discovery and travel planning. Destinations and travel businesses that adapt early will have a better chance of remaining visible and useful to future travelers.
