Travelers are turning to AI to plan trips — but hallucinations and trust gaps remain

For many travelers, the process of planning their trips is a grueling slog through endless price comparisons and messy browser tabs. Increasingly, they are outsourcing the task to artificial intelligence. About 91% of global travelers rely on AI travel planners, according to an annual survey of 11,000 global users by travel platform Klook. Travelers use the technology for various reasons. Some turn to AI to figure out what they even want from the trip, and others to find the best possible deals that suit their needs, Klook's research revealed. The appeal partly reflects a "do it yourself culture, feeling the ownership and pride of like building something yourself," said Leigh Rowan of travel agency Savanti Travel. But trust remains a challenge. A separate report by Booking.com on consumer attitudes towards AI in everyday life and travel found that 91% of respondents continue to have concerns about AI, with only 35% fully trusting its outputs. Over the shoulder view of young Asian woman using smartphone, checking digital flight ticket and boarding pass on device screen while packing a suitcase on bed for a trip. Planning for travel. Travel and vacation concept D3sign | Moment | Getty Images 'Hallucinations' hurdle One major obstacle is accuracy. AI tools, which are built around large language models, are known to produce 'hallucinations', a phenomenon where false information is presented as fact. Shyn Yee Ho, a director at tourism consultancy Horwath HTL, said her experience with AI was largely devoid of hallucinations. As a self-proclaimed "heavy user" of LLMs, Ho relied on suggestions from ChatGPT to find hotels within her budget and destinations that matched her interests while planning for her six-month solo sabbatical trip. Those recommendations, she said, were "very clear and good." While Ho's experience with AI has been positive, the reliability of AI continues to be a concern for many travelers. Savanti Travel's Rowan recalled a client, who was in Paris on a ...