Deep Dive:

  • According to Accenture's survey of nearly 3,000 consumers, almost nine in ten (about 89%) travelers are willing to useAI travel agentsto plan itineraries and find the best booking options.
  • However, when consumers need to give up more control, acceptance drops significantly: fewer than one-third of travelers allow AI to make final booking decisions, but not including the payment step.
  • Only 7% of travelers allow AI agents to shop autonomously and complete purchases on their behalf.

Deep Insight:

AI is changing how people shop for and book travel, from the discovery experience to the actual purchase step. Although consumer acceptance of AI is increasing, they still express a desire for control over the process, preferring to collaborate with AI rather than fully letting go.

Accenture's findings among travelers echo those in the broader consumer population. According to its survey of 25,590 consumers across 16 countries, the vast majority (85%) of consumers are open to AI collaboration, but only one-third are willing togive up purchase decision-making power, and only 9% allow AI to make purchases on their behalf.

Some travelers want to retain control over itinerary planning with AI's help for a simple reason: they enjoy the process. Nearly half (44%) of travelers say they want to stay involved because they have an emotional connection to brands and enjoy the browsing experience.

Travel brands have launched AI agents to meet this demand for browsing experiences.

Earlier this month, Priceline updated its AI-powered travel assistantPenny, adding agentic capabilities to help customers plan itineraries, evaluate real-time prices and availability, and provide trade-offs between options. Last week,Marriott International launched Ask Bonvoy, an AI conversational search experience focused on Marriott hotel discovery.

But among travelers using third-party AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude, brands cannot take loyalty for granted.

Accenture found that just over half (55%) of travelers say they will instruct their AI agents on which brands to consider. But among consumers loyal to a few travel brands in a specific category, more than one-third would let their agent switch their favorite brand if it were more appropriate.

"This changes how travelers choose brands," said Emily Weiss, global travel lead and senior managing director at Accenture, in a prepared statement. "Loyalty is no longer the default. Instead, brands are judged in the moment, based on price, relevance, and how well they meet travelers' needs."