A global report has revealed that Australians are comparatively slow adopters of artificial intelligence (AI) for researching and booking holidays.
Only 12 per cent of Australians have used AI to plan or book their holidays – a much lower proportion than travellers in the U.S. and Europe.
The research comes from the Europ Assistance Holiday Barometer, a global survey of 21,000 respondents across 23 countries.
It was commissioned by leading global assistance provider Europ Assistance, the parent company award-winning travel insurance provider Insure&Go.
The report revealed that 22 per cent of Americans and 16 per cent of Europeans have used AI to plan and book their travel.
The proportion increased to 25 per cent of Americans and 21 per cent of Europeans – but just 19 per cent of Australians – when asked if they intend to use AI in the future.
While most Australians have yet to discover the benefits of AI for travel, a separate report has revealed that 66 per cent of Australians have started to use AI or intend to.
And, in contrast, AI has also made serious inroads in the travel industry. In Australia, around three in four destination marketing organisations and travel operators (79% and 71% respectively) have started using AI tools.
Another global survey found that more than half of travel companies are using generative AI to help customers book their travel.
David Mayo, Commercial & Marketing Director at Insure&Go, says slower adoption among Australians reflects a more cautious approach to new technologies.
“Aussies have always been enthusiastic travellers, but there seems to be a lower trust in AI when it comes to research and planning travel,” he said.
“Search engines, booking platforms, travel agents and personal recommendations have been relied on for many years, and most Australians likely don’t see strong benefits in AI when organising a trip.”
Among those Australians who are turning to AI, the Holiday Barometer report shows several clear search preferences. Accommodation suggestions are the most frequently requested AI input made by Australians.
The report shows that 44 per cent use AI to find accommodation recommendations, while 41 per cent seek destination advice. Around one third rely on AI to learn more about travel activities (37%), to help map out their itineraries (35%) or to compare booking platforms (34%).
Mr Mayo expects AI adoption in travel to grow as Australians become accustomed to using AI when researching restaurants, shopping deals, recipes, financial products and local services.
“We’re already seeing AI used more widely in other industries. As we grow more familiar with the technology and trust grows – and as AI tools continue to improve – we should expect uptake to rise.
“For now, Australians are taking a watch-and-see approach compared with their overseas counterparts.”
