Travellers who use artificial intelligence for trip planning are emerging as the industry’s most valuable customer segment.
According to new research from Phocuswright, AI savvy travellers are taking more trips, spending significantly more and engaging more deeply with digital tools than those who have not adopted AI.
Published in The AI Surge: Travel’s Fastest Behavioural Shift in a Decade, the findings show that AI-using travellers have a median household income of $129,200 compared to $104,000 for non-users, take 3.8 leisure trips per year versus 2.9 and spend $4,500 annually on travel compared to $3,000 among non-users.
Mike Coletta, Phocuswright Senior Manager of Research and Innovation, said AI in travel had crossed a critical threshold.
“What’s striking is not just the scale, but the speed. In a matter of months, usage has surged across every generation, every touchpoint and every stage of the journey,” Mr Coletta said.
The growth in AI adoption has been rapid. The chart provided by Phocuswright shows that 33 per cent of U.S. travellers used AI for travel planning, booking or in-destination assistance in the first half of 2025, rising to 43 per cent in the second half and reaching 56 per cent in the first half of 2026.
AI travellers also use more digital tools overall, turning to an average of four resources when researching and booking trips compared to 2.2 among non-users.
They are younger on average, at 41 versus 52, more willing to share data for personalisation and nearly 40 per cent subscribe to a monthly AI service.
The Phocuswright Europe conference in June will examine how AI is reshaping traveller expectations and supplier strategies across the industry.
