Speaking at IHIF EMEA 2025 in Berlin, Booking.com regional director – global accounts Flavio Leoni said this year’s annual survey of about 40,000 customers undertaken by the booking engine revealed exactly half of all respondents had used AI when planning a trip.
And while it has long been the hope that AI, which has been predicted to change the world beyond all recognition, can make new suggestions for travel and experiences Leoni warned the reverse might be true.
He said: “When you talk to the artificial intelligence it is going to give you the answer you expect based on your bias and the previous information you have given it.
“The artificial intelligence can bring you to an algorithm where the opportunity [to discover new destinations] is going to be lower and lower.”
Despite this, Leoni said the technology is becoming increasingly prevalent, a trend led by Millennials, 54 per cent of whom use the technology when planning a trip, followed by Generation Z who came in at 51 per cent.
However, he added the biggest surprise was the level of adoption in the older generations with 51 per cent of Generation X using AI while 30 per cent of Baby Boomers did so too.
Leoni said: “Those generations were not supposed to be so fast in using the technology.”
Furthermore, the study also revealed 66% of respondents use AI once in location to see what to do while another 67% use it to try and find quieter locations.
Regardless of whether or not AI actually benefits those planning a trip, Leoni argued its ubiquity means travel companies cannot ignore it, adding: “Artificial intelligence is not the future, it’s the present.
“The late adopter of artificial intelligence is going to be a loser and not a loser in making reservations but in adapting to understand what our customers want.”
Leoni added another key finding from this year’s survey was that Baby Boomers are increasingly spending their life savings on shared extended family experiences by travelling together.
The survey revealed 46% of global Baby Boomers have adopted this practice while 42 per cent in Europe admit to doing so.
Furthermore, Baby Boomers are increasingly funding their children’s trips with 52 per cent of younger people admitting their parents had paid for them to go away in the last year.
The third main trend established by the survey was the continued growth in wellness travel but even then Leoni said the survey had thrown up one surprise.
“Getting focused on yourself is getting more and more important but the new bit here is that men are starting to think of themselves,” he added.
While these have been the three biggest findings Leoni said the survey revealed some further trends of note.
The first is noctourism, where travellers are increasingly looking not just for sunny beaches but night skies unaffected by light pollution so that they can gaze on galaxies far, far away.
Multi-generation mega trips are becoming increasingly popular as Baby Boomers unleash the funds while inclusive travel for the neuro-divergent is increasingly appearing on people’s wish lists.
Shopping remains popular as an in-resort activity, although travellers are increasingly looking for sustainable and vintage items as they seek to travel responsibly, Leoni said.
Finally airports need to improve access to their local tourism offerings as long-haul travel grows in popularity and forces more people to make stopovers.
Leoni said: “People go on a longer trip and they have a layover of three, four, five or six hours. Before they stayed in the airport but now they want to go out and they want to experience the location.”
By Edward Robertson
