A new wave of traveler behavior is taking shape, and this time, artificial intelligence is driving the shift. Phocuswright’s latest research report Chat, Plan, Book: GenAI Goes Mainstream reveals that the adoption of generative AI (GenAI) among travelers is not just rising. It is reshaping the very foundation of trip planning and booking.
More than half of U.S. travelers have tried GenAI in some form, with one in three already using it for travel-related purposes. From destination discovery to in-destination recommendations, GenAI is no longer on the sidelines. It is becoming central to how trips are imagined, planned, and experienced.
But the story doesn’t end there. While traditional search engines remain a dominant force, AI is being woven into the fabric of online travel discovery. As major players like Google ramp up their AI integration, the number of travelers interacting with AI-generated search results is expected to grow rapidly.
