A new Expedia Group report reveals that nearly 70% of travellers prefer trusted brands over AI when it comes to booking, even if they’re using large language models to research destinations first.
"Travellers don't have a technology problem with AI. They have a trust problem," said Xavi Amatriain, Expedia Group’s chief AI and data officer. "Trust in travel isn't built through technology alone. It's built through real-world relationships and assets, strong customer support, and decades of deep industry knowledge."
While AI is rapidly becoming a discovery tool, he said the overwhelming majority of travellers still choose to book with established travel brands rather than AI chatbots or AI agents.
The data comes from a survey of more than 5,700 adults across the US, UK and India, giving insight into when travellers do, and don’t, use AI technologies.
Half of survey respondents said AI saves them time discovering destinations, while 53% said they were comfortable letting AI suggest travel options. A further 42% indicated they use or would use AI to monitor prices.
However, only 8% of respondents currently rely on AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini when it comes to actual trip planning.
The survey found that 59% of travellers still use search engines, while 49% use online travel agencies. At the booking stage, 68% said they preferred a trusted travel brand over AI options, and two-thirds said they wouldn't trust an AI assistant to book anything on their behalf.
