AI Travel Tools Favor Popular Destinations, Study Finds
Experts caution that “recommendation systems” may lead to increased demand, causing destinations to become more congested, costly, and less enjoyable.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools for travel planning may be inclined towards popular tourist spots, according to a study by SALT.agency. An analysis of roughly 85,000 travel-related inquiries directed AI responses toward familiar locales such as Canada, Mexico, the USA, India, and Australia. This bias threatens to heighten crowds and prices at these locations, while travelers might miss out on hidden gems.
The research uncovers that AI recommendations are not distributed evenly, creating a “winner takes most” scenario. For example, nearly 10% of the 65,000 overall travel planning responses pointed to Canada.
“AI tools tend to suggest the same places repeatedly, being biased towards ‘well-known’, ‘well-documented’, and ’easily justifiable’ destinations,” remarked Dan Taylor, Partner and Head of Innovation at SALT.agency. (Translation: AI tools tend to suggest the same places repeatedly, being biased towards ‘well-known’, ‘well-documented’, and ’easily justifiable’ destinations.)
For luxury travel, the preferred destinations included India, Italy, the Maldives, Singapore, and Australia. For solo travel, most guidance pointed to Japan, Thailand, Portugal, Costa Rica, and Iceland. Taylor warns that AI’s streamlining effect might “shrink the world” by limiting choices and dissuading exploration.
“AI is astonishing for crafting polished itineraries, yet those plans are frequently built from identical components,” he added. (Translation: AI excels in generating a refined itinerary, but that itinerary is usually constructed from the same elements.)
The results imply that while AI can facilitate travel planning, it might also restrict the exploratory spirit many travelers crave. For additional insights, visit SALT.agency’s blog.
