Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of the way we plan travel. But something interesting is happening as adoption grows. While the technology itself is global, the way travelers actually use it is highly local. AI travel assistants trip planning

New data from TripGenie, the AI travel assistant developed by Trip.com, offers a rare look at how travelers interact with AI across the entire journey. After three years of real-world usage, the platform has accumulated enough data to reveal clear behavioral patterns.

What started as a functional digital assistant has evolved into something much broader: an always-available travel companion that helps people explore destinations, make decisions and solve problems along the way.

But perhaps the most fascinating insight is this. AI isn’t standardizing travel behavior. Instead, it is adapting to it.

Travelers in different regions use AI in very different ways, reflecting cultural differences in planning habits, risk tolerance and decision-making styles.

Planning Styles Vary by Market

One of the strongest patterns in TripGenie’s data is how differently travelers approach planning depending on where they live.

In highly connected travel markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, travelers tend to interact with AI frequently during their trips. These markets often involve short-haul flights and fast-paced travel schedules. As a result, AI becomes a real-time decision-making tool.

Instead of planning everything weeks ahead, travelers consult AI while already in the destination.

They ask for nearby restaurant recommendations, compare hotels during the trip or search for things to do that same day. In this context, AI functions almost like a local guide that travelers carry in their pockets.

European and North American travelers show a very different behavior pattern.

In markets such as Germany and the United Kingdom, travelers typically consult AI much earlier in the planning process. Planning windows are longer and more deliberate. Most interactions happen weeks before departure and focus on flights, hotel options and destination research.

This reflects a more cautious planning approach where travelers use AI to reduce uncertainty before committing to bookings.

Timing also differs significantly across Asian markets.

Travelers in South Korea and Taiwan often finalize hotel bookings only a few days before departure. AI helps them compare locations and amenities quickly when making those last-minute decisions.

Japan is a notable exception.

Japanese travelers typically prefer early confirmation and structured planning. Hotel bookings often happen weeks in advance, reflecting a cultural preference for certainty.

Southern European markets such as Italy, France and Spain sit somewhere between these extremes. Travelers in these countries tend to combine structured planning with spontaneous in-destination decisions.

AI Is Becoming Part of the Entire Travel Journey

Another key insight from the TripGenie data is how AI usage has expanded beyond the inspiration phase.

Travelers are now using AI across multiple stages of their trips.

TripGenie’s AI-assisted order volume on Trip.com has increased by roughly 400 percent year over year. At the same time, usage of core tools such as hotel comparison, live translation and menu interpretation has grown by around 300 percent.

These numbers indicate that travelers are no longer treating AI as a simple search function.

Instead, AI is becoming a continuous support layer across the travel experience.

A particularly interesting trend is the growing share of customer service interactions handled by AI.

Around a quarter of all TripGenie interactions now involve pre- and post-sales support questions. Travelers rely on the assistant to handle real-world issues such as itinerary changes, booking details or questions about local services.

This shift signals growing confidence in AI’s ability to handle complex travel scenarios.

AI Is Reducing Travel Complexity

Travel decisions are often complicated. Airline policies, hotel details and travel conditions are scattered across dozens of websites.

AI is increasingly being used to simplify that information landscape.

Nearly 60 percent of TripGenie interactions are now directly related to bookings. Travelers frequently ask practical questions before confirming purchases.

Does a particular hotel meet their requirements?

Is the neighborhood safe?

Does a baggage policy apply to their ticket?

These questions often require cross-checking multiple sources. AI consolidates that information and presents it in a clear, conversational format.

Beyond basic queries, TripGenie also offers decision-support tools that streamline comparisons.

The platform’s hotel comparison feature reduces the number of clicks required to analyze accommodation options by about 80 percent. Users who interact with these tools also show significantly higher engagement, including a 45 percent increase in seven-day revisit rates.

In other words, once travelers begin using AI to make decisions, they tend to rely on it repeatedly.

AI Across Flights, Hotels and Attractions

AI plays a different role depending on the type of travel product travelers are exploring.

Flights

When it comes to flights, AI is most often used to clarify complex policies.

More than half of travelers consult AI to confirm details such as baggage allowances, lounge access or premium services. Airline rules are often scattered across booking platforms, airline websites and credit card terms. AI helps bring these pieces together quickly.

Accommodation

Accommodation decisions involve a higher perceived risk, which is where AI appears particularly influential.

Travelers often ask AI to verify hotel facilities, check location distances and evaluate whether properties match their preferences.

Among travelers using TripGenie’s hotel comparison feature, more than half ultimately selected a hotel that matched the AI’s recommendation.

Attractions

Attractions-related queries tend to be more exploratory.

Travelers ask questions such as:

Common attraction questions

• What should I do today?
• Which attractions are worth visiting?
• How can I experience this destination like a local?

These questions rely heavily on context and storytelling. AI can combine destination data, reviews and cultural insights to generate meaningful suggestions.

The Rise of Multimodal Travel AI

Another emerging trend is the increasing use of multimodal AI interactions.

Travelers are no longer relying on text alone when interacting with travel assistants.

Many now upload images to support their questions.

Common image-based queries

• Photographing restaurant menus for translation
• Uploading street signs to ask for directions
• Identifying landmarks or buildings
• Checking hotel room details

TripGenie reports that users who interact through images have significantly higher engagement levels. Their seven-day revisit rate is roughly twice the platform average.

This trend reflects how travelers experience destinations in real life.

Travel is visual and situational. Multimodal AI allows travelers to interact with technology in ways that feel more natural.

Conclusion: AI Travel Assistants Are Becoming Travel Infrastructure

The deeper story behind TripGenie’s data is not simply about AI adoption. It is about how AI is quietly becoming part of the infrastructure that supports modern travel.

Across the travel industry, companies are racing to build AI-driven assistants. Trip.com, Booking.com and Expedia Group are all investing heavily in conversational travel tools. Meanwhile, technology companies such as Google and OpenAI are integrating AI planning capabilities directly into search and mobile ecosystems.

Research from Phocuswright and Skift suggests that AI could reshape travel discovery and booking behavior over the next decade.

But the most successful platforms will likely be those that adapt to how travelers actually behave.

TripGenie’s data suggests that AI works best when it supports local travel habits rather than trying to standardize them.

In Asia, that means helping travelers make quick decisions during fast-paced trips.

In Europe, it means supporting longer planning cycles and reducing booking risk.

And everywhere, it means simplifying the complex information landscape that travelers face.

AI will not replace the human desire to explore. AI travel assistants trip planning

But it is quickly becoming the invisible assistant that helps travelers navigate the journey.