Travelers across the world are turning to generative artificial intelligence (AI) more often, and over half are willing to shell out for an AI assistant.
A large study from Amadeus found that 64% of global travelers would pay for an assistant that could provide in-trip information—and 17% would pay up to 5% of the total value of their trip.
The study, “Connected Journeys: How Technology Will Transform Travel in the Next Decade,” included responses from 9,500 global travelers from China, France, India, Singapore, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. The study investigated “the role that new and emerging technology plays in transforming the travel and hospitality industries.”
According to Mike Coletta, senior manager of research and innovation for Phocuswright, travelers’ willingness to pay highlights the potential of monetizing AI.
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“Should AI assistants follow the same economic model as the web, compensated through whoever spends the most on ads or pays the most in commissions, the promise of an unbiased tool that finds the very best options for each traveler will go unrealized,” he said.
“But if travelers are willing to pay for these assistants up front, just like we do for other indispensable services like our phones, the assistants could be freed to act neutrally, and the entrenched economics of travel distribution could be shaken up.”
But that’s not to say that AI is without its frustrations. A quarter of respondents received inaccurate or outdated information when using AI, and another quarter said the technology really couldn’t understand their personal preferences.
"The rapid rise in generative AI usage shows that travelers are eager for smarter, more personalized experiences. But the data also reveals a clear message: Expectations are high, and the industry must work together to meet them,” said Decius Valmorbida, president of travel at Amadeus.
Francisco (Paco) Pérez-Lozao Rüter, president of hospitality at Amadeus, said traveler demands are a “call to action.”
“From booking the perfect stay to navigating the trip itself, hyper personalization and real time accuracy are no longer optional, they are expected,” he said.
In general, travelers are also turning to generative AI more, with usage up 64% year over year.
Travelers listed significant time savings (42%), highly personalized recommendations (37%) and the discovery of new destinations (36%) as top generative AI benefits. Approximately 35% of respondents also said the technology made them feel more confident in their travel decisions.
And with 90% of those traveling by plane experience some sort of anxiety, travelers are naturally interested in technology-powered solutions that provide convenience and reassurance, including remote baggage check-in (66%) and biometric gateways (69%).