A significant majority of Germans express openness to artificial intelligence handling their complete vacation planning, according to a new survey released Thursday by Bitkom, the German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and Media. The poll, which surveyed over 1,000 individuals aged 16 and older, found that 58% of respondents could envision AI managing every aspect of their holidays.
Sentiment towards AI’s role in travel planning is largely positive, with 25% stating they would definitely trust AI in this capacity and a further 33% indicating they were inclined to do so. Younger demographics (16-29 year olds) showed particularly strong acceptance, with 66% willing to delegate their entire vacation planning and booking to AI. Even amongst those aged 65 and older, nearly half (46%) expressed openness to the concept.
The survey revealed current utilization of AI in early stages of travel preparation. A substantial number of Germans are already leveraging AI for destination and accommodation suggestions: 22% have been presented with lodging options by AI applications and 44% are receptive to this possibility. Similarly, 18% have received travel destination recommendations from AI, with 44% open to considering this in the future.
AI is also seeing use in planning activities at destinations. 12% have employed AI to find attractions, leisure activities, or events and 39% are considering doing so. A further 11% have received suggested local routes – such as city walking tours – with 39% indicating openness to exploring this in the future.
While acceptance is high for many aspects of travel planning, certain areas still see more cautious adoption. Only 8% have previously used AI to create packing lists and only 15% are considering this moving forward. Trust in AI for up-to-the-minute travel information such as warnings or vaccinations remains comparatively low – just 1% currently rely on AI for this – although a large potential user base (46%) express openness to doing so.
Bitkom Research conducted the survey via telephone, questioning 1,006 individuals across Germany, of whom 955 regularly undertake holiday travel. The data was collected between April 29th and May 24th, 2024.