Despite the rapid rise of generative AI for travel planning, 60% of travellers still prefer human recommendations and verified information, according to a new survey.
Travel platform Civitatis conducted a study of more than 7,000 travellers, which highlights concerns about the reliability of AI-generated travel advice.
Nearly half of respondents who have used AI to help plan a trip say they encountered incorrect or outdated information.
This is especially for details such as opening hours, prices, or real-time availability.
According to the survey, AI is most commonly used by travellers as an initial research tool such as to generate ideas, itineraries or general destination information.
However, once recommendations are received, users tend to immediately verify them through search engines or specialised travel platforms to confirm their accuracy.
Respondents who reported encountering errors in AI-generated information cited outdated schedules, broken links, incorrect pricing, or attractions appearing open when they were actually closed.
These were some of the most common issuesm according to the survey.
“While AI is a powerful ally for inspiration, real travel planning requires certainties that only the expert judgment of our teams and the real experiences of our customers can provide,” said Andrés Spitzer, CEO of Civitatis.
“Technology can suggest options, but trust and accuracy can only be guaranteed by the human factor.”
The survey also reveals that a majority of travelers are not yet actively using AI to organise their trips.
More than 60% of respondents say they still do not rely on AI tools for travel planning.
Among the reasons cited are a preference for designing itineraries independently and a lack of familiarity with how AI tools can be applied to travel planning.
More than 65% of respondents are over the age of 46 and typically take between two and five trips per year.
This indicates that even frequent travellers continue to value direct planning and verified information sources.
In response to these insights, Civitatis has launched a new campaign titled “Travel is Human,” aimed at highlighting the importance of human curation and verified travel experiences.
To prove the point for the initiative, it created a fictional destination — the Island of San Elías — to illustrate how easily unverified or AI-generated information can be curated through AI.
The campaign also coincides with the launch of the company’s updated mobile app, designed to provide real-time travel information and access to millions of verified traveller reviews.
