AI use surges among US travellers as trip planning habits rapidly shift

More than half of US leisure travellers are now using artificial intelligence (AI) across their journeys, marking the fastest behavioural shift in travel in over a decade, according to new research from Phocuswright.

The report, The AI Surge: Travel’s Fastest Behavioural Shift in a Decade, found that 56% of travellers used AI for at least one trip in the past year, rising from 43% in late 2025 and more than doubling since 2024. Overall, AI usage among travellers has reached 59%.

Generative AI platforms, including ChatGPT and Gemini, are gaining significant traction, with 33% of travellers using them for trip research – approaching traditional search engines at 35%. However, verification remains critical: only 8% rely solely on AI responses, while 51% continue to click through to source websites.

"Half of travellers who used AI in search engines told us they still clicked through to source websites after seeing AI answers in search,” said Mike Coletta, Senior Manager of Research and Innovation at Phocuswright.

“This violates the common narrative of a zero-click world. AI is definitely reducing click-through in search overall, but travel is much more resilient because it’s higher stakes and verification-heavy, especially in the transaction phase. Which helps explain why Google and the online travel agencies (OTAs) continue to report solid financial results.”

Standalone AI platforms are the most widely used, with 64% adoption among AI users, and 81% rating them as the most useful tools for trip planning.

Adoption is increasing across all age groups, led by millennials (74%) and Gen Z (72%), while usage among baby boomers has doubled to 27%.

AI is also playing a growing role in-destination, with 51% using it for real-time recommendations and 95% finding it helpful for tasks such as navigation and reservations.