With all the buzz around AI, different sectors are racing to work out how they can harness the most out of new technologies. The travel industry is no exception and for years already has been working out how to adapt to an increasingly digital world, whether that’s with virtual reality tours of museums or automated chatbots to help with booking requests.
Yet, as our chart shows, despite the promise of new tools on the horizon, the digitalization of travel isn’t really on the minds of most U.S. adults just yet. According to data from the Statista Consumer Insights Travel & Tourism Special, only around one in five respondents would be interested in using features such as smart home devices in their accommodation, virtual tours or recognition technologies.
Looking at a breakdown by age though, some groups were more receptive than others. For example, where using AI to help with travel bookings appealed to only 19 percent of U.S. adults overall, it was of greater interest to 25-34 year olds (26 percent) and 35-44 year olds (25 percent).
In an international comparison, U.S. adults were slightly more interested in the future opportunities of tech in travel than their UK or German counterparts. For example, 17 percent of UK respondents and 13 percent of German respondents were interested in virtual reality tours versus the U.S.’ 20 percent.
In all three countries, it appears that holidaymakers still prefer the human touch over full digitalization, with only around one in ten people drawn to the idea of service robots at their accommodation (13 percent in the U.S., 11 percent in Germany, 10 percent in the UK).
