AI could make holiday planning easier for overwhelmed travellers

The study, published in Journal of Travel Research, set out a conceptual framework, drawing on interviews with a group of UK adults who had used generative AI to help plan a real or recent trip. The framework shows how AI can act as a form of ‘cognitive scaffolding’, taking on part of the coordination work while travellers remain in control of their decisions. 

The benefits were particularly apparent among travellers who found planning harder to manage. For some, AI turned holiday planning from a task they might delay or give up on into something they felt able to complete. 

The research identifies three main ways generative AI can support travellers: 

• Reducing the mental effort of organising, tracking and coordinating plans, while easing feelings of overwhelm  
• Creating room to pause, compare options and reflect before making decisions 
• Helping travellers get started, keep the planning process moving and bring it to completion 

Dr Yoonjung Kim, doctoral researcher in Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey and lead author of the study, said: 

“Planning a holiday involves a series of connected decisions about transport, accommodation, budgets and activities. This can quickly become overwhelming, particularly when travellers are faced with endless information and choices. 

“Our research finds that generative AI can provide structure, help people stay focused and make it easier to move forward without taking the final decision out of their hands. 

“The researchers describe this as a redistribution of mental work rather than its removal. The technology can organise information and keep track of details, freeing travellers to focus their attention on comparing options and making judgements. 

Professor Iis Tussyadiah, Dean of Surrey Business School and co-author of the study, said: 

“For some travellers, generative AI is more than a convenient shortcut. It can make a demanding decision-making process feel manageable and, in some cases, make planning feel possible. 

“These findings show how travel technology could become more inclusive by being designed around the different ways people think, plan and make decisions.” 

The findings point to the potential for more cognitively inclusive travel technology that better accommodates diverse ways of thinking and planning, including support for neurodivergent travellers. The researchers emphasise, however, that the cognitive demands of travel planning can affect any traveller, particularly when a trip involves large amounts of information, multiple constraints and interconnected decisions.  

Dr Bora Kim, Associate Professor in Surrey Hospitality and Tourism Management and co-author of the study, said: 

“The real promise of AI in travel planning is not simply speed or convenience. The same tool can support different travellers at different points of difficulty while allowing them to retain control over their decisions. Travel technologies should be designed to provide personalised cognitive and emotional support while protecting travellers’ autonomy.” 

ENDS 

Notes to editors 

• The full study has been published in: Journal of Travel Research.  
• Dr Yoonjung Kim, Dr Bora Kim and Professor Iis Tussyadiah are available for interviews. Please contact: mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk to arrange.