If the future of travel had a mascot, it would no longer be the leather-bound Lonely Planet guidebook, nor even the ubiquitous selfie stick. According to Booking.com’s freshly minted Global AI Sentiment Report, the emblem of travel’s next chapter may be a digital assistant with a talent for restaurant recommendations and a suspiciously chirpy tone.
And if you’re wondering who’s leading this global charge into algorithm-powered adventure, look no further than Thailand, where 98% of travellers are excited about AI. Yes, 98%. Even durian doesn’t achieve that kind of consensus.
The Numbers That Made Even Statisticians Blush
The survey canvassed 37,000 consumers across 33 markets, not precisely a focus group in someone’s lounge room. The results were unambiguous:
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Globally, 91% are excited about AI, but Thais push it to 98%.
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96% of Thais want to use AI in their future travel plans.
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AI assistants are now trusted more than influencers. (Pause while Instagrammers clutch their ring lights.)
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Only 9% of Thais fully trust AI, and 84% carry at least one nagging concern.
So while travellers are happy to let AI whisper in their ear, very few are ready to hand over the credit card without a good, hard squint at the receipt.
Co-Pilot, Not Captain
This is perhaps the most delicious paradox in the report. Travellers adore the idea of AI, but they don’t trust it to run the show.
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61% always fact-check AI outputs.
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17% sometimes double-check.
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Only 21% are comfortable with AI making independent decisions.
In plain terms: AI can suggest the best time to visit Angkor Wat or where to find the crispiest pad thai, but when booking flights or deciding which hotel won’t leave you sharing a bathroom with a gecko, humans still insist on signing off.
As one might say in Bangkok, the tuk-tuk driver may follow Google Maps, but you’d better keep an eye on where he’s going.
How AI Already Sneaks Into Our Journeys
If you thought AI was still a futuristic toy, think again. The report found that 79% of Thais have already used AI during their travels, and almost all use it for planning or booking.
Where it shows up most:
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49% researching destinations and travel timing.
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33% hunting down local culture and activities.
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38% chasing restaurant tips.
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51% using translation tools mid-trip.
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43% navigating local transport.
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47% editing photos once back home (goodbye, photobombing strangers).
Most strikingly, AI assistants are now considered more reliable (30%) than colleagues or influencers (21% each). It seems Instagram “wanderlusters” are being out-trusted by chatbots. That thud you hear is the sound of a thousand ring lights switching off.
More Than a Gadget: A Force for Good?
It’s not all about efficiency. It seems Thai travellers want AI to help them travel more responsibly.
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82% want AI to recommend experiences that benefit local communities.
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81% like that AI can steer them away from overcrowded destinations.
If followed through, this could be the industry’s saving grace: a chance for AI to point travellers to the nearest bar and gently nudge them toward choices that sustain the very places they’ve come to see. Imagine an algorithm that tells you not just where to go, but where not to, to protect the city’s soul.
Booking.com’s Grand Vision
Booking.com, never shy of being at the front of the queue when technology promises to shake up travel, has integrated AI into its platform for over a decade. Now, it seems, the company is more confident than ever that it’s reading the room correctly.
Branavan Aruljothi, Area Manager at Booking.com, summed it up with a touch of poetry unusual for a corporate statement:
“Every journey has the potential to uncover something extraordinary a tucked-away café, a breathtaking view, a tradition kept alive by the locals. Generative AI is helping us open those doors for travellers, guiding them to hidden gems they might never have found on their own. It’s not just about technology; it’s about creating meaningful connections that enrich both the traveller’s experience and the communities they visit.”
One could almost imagine him delivering this while raising a cappuccino in Rome. But the sentiment holds: Booking.com wants AI to be less HAL 9000 and more genial concierge.
Regional Nuances: Not Everyone’s Sold
Of course, not every region rolls out the welcome mat quite so eagerly. While enthusiasm is high in Asia, other parts remain circumspect. Trust issues loom large, especially where cultural scepticism toward technology runs deep.
And here lies the industry’s tightrope: innovation is sprinting, but trust is limping. The winners will be those who can coax travellers without spooking them with visions of algorithmic overlords.
The Future Traveller: Half Human, Half Algorithm
So, what’s next? For the foreseeable future, expect your itinerary to be drafted not in biro on the back of an envelope, but via an app that already knows you prefer boutique hotels over soulless towers and would rather queue at a night market than a museum café.
Yet, and this is the key, the thrill of travel lies in the unknown. AI can sharpen the odds of stumbling upon a laneway jazz bar in Melbourne or a seafood shack in Phuket, but it cannot replicate the spark of discovery. The best it can do is set the stage.
Travellers, it seems, are comfortable with that. They don’t want AI as a master puppeteer, but they’re happy to let it act as a worldly friend who knows the bus schedule, the tide times, and the name of the best hawker in town.
Conclusion: A Journey Shared
The Global AI Sentiment Report clarifies that AI is here to stay in travel. But the real story isn’t about algorithms; it’s about people.
Thais, in their characteristically enthusiastic way, are showing us how it can be embraced: with excitement, yes, but also with healthy caution. The industry would do well to follow that lead.
AI may pack the bags, book the tickets, and whisper about hidden gems, but the traveller still decides which road to take. And frankly, isn’t that the way it should be?
By Soo James
