As summer travel planning ramps up, consumers are turning to AI to reduce stress, stay on budget and discover more personalized experiences, with 65% of respondents saying they trust AI-generated travel recommendations to some degree.

Key takeaways:

• Americans say they rely on AI more than travel websites: More than half (58%) of Americans say they are using AI tools to plan their summer vacations this year, compared with 55% who say they are using traditional travel websites.
• Trust in AI travel recommendations continues to grow: Nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents trust AI-generated travel recommendations to some degree, and 29% have not experienced any frustrations when using the technology for travel planning.
• AI serves as a confidence-building tool for travelers: Consumers are using AI to feel more organized (41%), less overwhelmed (32%), and more comfortable when exploring unfamiliar destinations (32%).
• Travelers prioritize personalization over privacy: More than half (56%) of Americans are willing to share their information with AI tools in exchange for more personalized vacation recommendations.

As Americans prepare for their summer vacations, Qlik^® today revealed that AI has become the go-to travel planning resource for many, surpassing traditional methods such as “plan it yourself” travel websites and human agents.

The findings from Qlik's second annual summer travel survey reveal a shift in consumer behavior. While last year's survey found travelers were beginning to experiment with generative AI tools, this year's edition reveals that AI has become a mainstream travel tool that consumers increasingly trust to discover new destinations, save money, and navigate real-time disruptions.

According to the survey, AI has become the most relied upon travel planning resource, with 58% of travelers turning to tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, compared with 55% who rely on traditional travel websites. As adoption grows, so too does interest, with 35% planning to use AI in the future.

“Consumers are becoming more comfortable relying on AI to make decisions that impact their time, money and experiences,” said James Fisher, Chief Strategy Officer at Qlik. “We're seeing a broader shift in consumer behavior as travelers increasingly trust AI to navigate planning decisions, personalize experiences, and manage their travel budgets. Travelers want personalized, relevant guidance they can trust, which makes accurate, timely and transparent data more critical than ever.”

Key findings:

• AI has become the default travel planning tool: AI has become a mainstream source of travel guidance, with a majority of respondents saying they rely on tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude (58%), compared to traditional travel websites such as Expedia, TripAdvisor and Hopper (55%), recommendations from friends and family (49%), social media influencers (21%) or human travel agents (14%).
• Trust in AI is no longer experimental: Nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents trust AI-generated travel recommendations to some degree, including 17% who would book travel based solely on AI’s advice. Additionally, 26% of travelers are using AI to spark travel inspiration.
• AI is reducing travel stress: Respondents say AI helps them feel more organized and confident going into their trips (41%), less overwhelmed during the planning process (32%), and more comfortable trying unfamiliar destinations and experiences (32%). Another 31% say AI helps them choose destinations, accommodations and activities that are more personalized to them.
• Travelers are willing to trade their personal information for personalized itineraries: More than half of respondents (56%) are willing to share their personal information (e.g. budget information, real-time location, past booking history, passport or driver's licenses information, credit card details) with AI tools in exchange for more personalized travel recommendations and real-time assistance. Gen Z (66%) and Millennial (63%) travelers admitted being the most comfortable with sharing their information, compared with Gen X (55%).
• AI is helping travelers stretch their budgets further: Among AI users, 41% say AI helped them stay within budget, 33% spent less than expected on travel bookings (flights, car rentals, accommodations) and activities, 28% found lower-cost transportation alternatives, and 26% saved money on gas or fuel prices.
• Despite the AI hype, consumers still question its outputs: Consumers cited the following as their top frustrations when using AI to plan their travel: inaccurate or outdated information (25%), generic or repetitive suggestions (25%), privacy or data-sharing concerns (24%), recommendations may be influenced by sponsorships or paid placements (22%), and nearly one in five (18%) travelers encountered AI hallucinations. Furthermore, 15% say AI mistakes significantly disrupted or ruined their previous travel plans, and thus, have discouraged them from using the tools when planning future vacations.

AI has moved beyond experimentation and continues to become embedded in the travel planning process. Summer travelers are turning to AI to reduce planning stress, stay on budget, and discover more personalized experiences.

Methodology

The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2001 respondents aged 18+ who are planning a summer trip this year. The data was collected between June 5, 2026 – June 9, 2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.

About Qlik

Qlik helps teams get more out of AI with data they can rely on and control. It delivers trusted data products, a powerful analytics engine, and AI agents. This helps teams reduce risk, keep operating costs in check, and scale AI responsibly as needs evolve. Used by 75% of the Fortune 500, Qlik supports customers worldwide. Qlik works with the systems and partners customers already use, so teams can stay flexible without lock-in.

© 2026 QlikTech International AB. All rights reserved. All company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701394420/en/