NATIONAL REPORT – Almost 60% of U.S. travelers say they’re
ready for fully AI-booked travel, according to a new report from Accenture.
Accenture’s 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey indicates nearly
nine in 10 U.S travel shoppers are open to letting AI agents take shopping
decisions for them. Of these, nearly six in 10 (59.1%) say they would
be comfortable letting a gen AI agent mostly or fully automate their travel
planning and purchasing for the holidays.
Fully, 26% say they are mostly comfortable (51% to 75%
automation), preferring AI to handle most decisions while they retain some
review or approval.
The survey involved 584 travel consumers in the U.S.
Respondents were split between gender and across age groups, 22% of Generation
Zer’s (aged 18-27), 17% younger millennials (28-35), 23% older millennials
(36-43), 33% Generation Xers (44-59), 5% baby boomers (60-69). The survey was conducted
between August and September 2025.
The results also revealed how U.S. travelers are using gen
AI tools:
- 36% of U.S. travelers say they have used an
airline’s gen AI tool for planning or personalization.
- 24% use assistants such as ChatGPT or
Gemini.
- 22% use hotel- or OTA-based AI tools.
“This holiday season, American travelers are showing a new
level of comfort with technology doing the planning for them,” said Emily
Weiss, managing director and global travel industry lead, Accenture. “In
reality, the travel planning process is still fragmented and can be very
time-consuming, with travelers juggling multiple apps, ads and websites to
piece together their itineraries and bookings.”
She added that the Accenture research also shows many
travelers are now open to letting AI agents not just plan but also book trips
on their behalf. “AI agents can transform travel planning and booking from a
complex task into an enjoyable part of the journey itself, turning inspiration,
research and booking into one seamless experience,” Weiss said. “For travel
companies, the focus should be on integrating AI in ways that make this process
effortless and personalized, helping travelers spend less time organizing and
more time experiencing.”