Approximately 91% of international travellers use AI travel planners while researching or organising their trips, according to an annual poll by travel site Klook. The survey, which highlighted the expanding significance of AI in the tourism and travel business, was based on responses from 11,000 users worldwide.
Travellers are using AI technologies more often to streamline the difficult process of trip preparation, it said. They are using AI-powered planners to create itineraries, vacation ideas, lodging choices, and activity recommendations rather than manually browsing through dozens of websites and reviews.
Travellers can prepare vacations more effectively, according to industry analysts, because AI-powered travel planners can quickly sort through a plethora of information, including flights, lodging, local attractions, and transportation alternatives.
According to Leigh Rowan of the travel company Savanti Travel, the attractiveness partially reflects a “do it yourself culture, feeling the ownership and pride of like building something yourself.”
But trust issues persist
The poll also reveals a persistent lack of trust despite the increasing reliance on AI capabilities. Although AI travel products are widely used, according to a Booking.com survey, 91% of users have concerns about AI, while only 35% fully trust its results. This shows how difficult it is to establish confidence throughout technological adoption.
Accuracy is another significant barrier. Large language models are the foundation of AI technologies, which are known to cause ‘hallucinations,’ an occurrence in which incorrect information is presented as fact.
Shyn Yee Ho, a board member of nonprofit travel agency Smiling Gecko Singapore, reported that she had very few hallucinations when using AI. Ho relied on ChatGPT’s recommendations to choose affordable hotels and travel destinations that aligned with her interests when organising her six-month vacation. She described such suggestions as ‘very clear and good.’
Experts point out that travellers should double-check information using conventional travel websites or booking platforms because AI-generated itineraries can contain out-of-date opening hours, inaccurate rates, or inaccessible attractions.
The results are included in Klook’s Travel Pulse 2026 report, which also shows that despite economic uncertainty, there is a robust demand for travel worldwide.
According to the survey, 88% of travellers worldwide intend to keep or raise their travel budgets in 2026, with people from the Asia-Pacific expressing a particularly strong desire to boost their travel expenditures.
The report also identifies a trend towards experience-led travel, in which tourists prefer multi-destination travel, cultural research, and activities over just visiting well-known tourist destinations.
Nine out of 10 travellers worldwide intend to travel abroad in 2026, indicating the persistence of travel ambition. Compared with 50% last year, 61% expect to travel in the first half of the year.
Travellers in Asia Pacific (APAC) are 50% more likely than those in Europe and the US to increase their travel spending, underscoring the region’s status as the global travel growth engine.
