Small StepsArtificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing industries across the globe, including the travel sector. By enabling personalized recommendations, improving operational efficiency, and helping businesses adapt to evolving consumer trends, AI is reshaping how travelers plan and experience their journeys. However, while AI presents significant opportunities, it also comes with limitations. To fully harness its potential in the travel industry, it’s crucial to understand both its strengths and its weaknesses.
AI’s Role in Revolutionizing Travel
Personalized Travel Experiences
AI analyzes vast amounts of user data to provide tailored recommendations for flights, accommodations, activities, and dining. Tools like chatbots and recommendation engines learn from user preferences, making suggestions that feel uniquely customized. For example, platforms like Expedia and Google Travel use AI to suggest ideal travel itineraries based on user searches and booking history. Its as if you have your own personal travel agent at your fingertips.
Efficient Trip Planning
Planning a trip can be overwhelming, but AI simplifies the process. Virtual travel assistants like Kayak’s chatbot or Hopper’s airfare prediction feature can help users find the best deals and plan trips efficiently. These systems reduce time spent on research by providing relevant options quickly.
Enhanced Customer Support
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are now the frontline of customer service for many travel companies. Available 24/7, they can handle inquiries ranging from booking modifications to cancellations, offering quick resolutions without human intervention. This not only improves the traveler experience but also reduces operational costs.
Operational Efficiency for Businesses
AI helps airlines, hotels, and travel agencies optimize operations. Airlines use AI for predictive maintenance of aircraft, minimizing downtime and improving safety. Hotels also employ AI to adjust pricing dynamically, ensuring competitive rates based on demand, seasonality, and local events.
Real-Time Translation and Navigation
AI-powered tools such as Google Translate have revolutionized communication for travelers, breaking down language barriers with ease. Features like real-time conversation translation, photo text translation, and written text conversion make interacting in foreign countries more seamless than ever. Similarly, AI-enhanced navigation apps provide real-time updates and personalized routes, offering greater accessibility and convenience for exploring unfamiliar destinations.
The Limitations of Planning Trips with AI
Despite the popularity and excitement behind AI, it is still ultimately in its infancy. When used correctly, it is a great aid and can save time and money when planning your next vacation. However, there are limitations to what AI can do.
Lack of Human Touch & Limited Problem Solving Capabilities
While AI excels in efficiency, it often lacks the emotional intelligence, creativity, and empathy that human agents bring. For instance, a chatbot may not handle nuanced customer complaints as effectively as a human representative, leading to frustration during high-stress situations like flight delays or cancellations. AI also lacks creativity. At its core, AI cannot create anything “new” pulling data from existing sources, finding patterns, and making decisions based off of that data – you miss the local secrets, tips, and tricks a specialized agent could bring. AI’s strength lies in processing vast amounts of data quickly, but it lacks the intuition and creativity that human experts bring to the table.
Data Privacy Concerns & Over-Reliance on Algorithms
AI relies heavily on user data to deliver personalized experiences. However, the collection and storage of this data may raise significant privacy concerns. Travelers may hesitate to share personal information, especially with recent high-profile data breaches. AI systems can also make mistakes or provide biased results, especially when trained on incomplete or skewed datasets. For example, automated pricing models might inadvertently disadvantage certain groups by offering less favorable deals based on historical data trends.
Finding the Balance
To fully realize AI’s potential in the travel industry, companies must address its limitations while maximizing its strengths. Hybrid systems that combine AI efficiency with human expertise and creativity could offer the best of both worlds. For instance, AI can handle routine queries while escalating complex issues to human agents.
Additionally, ethical considerations, such as transparent data usage policies and minimizing algorithmic bias, are crucial for building traveler trust. Businesses should also invest in training their workforce to collaborate effectively with AI tools, ensuring technology enhances rather than replaces human capabilities.
Putting AI to the Test
Having visited Japan five times, I feel I have a solid understanding of what first-timers should experience, from must-see attractions to hidden local gems. With that in mind, I decided to ask Google Bard (now Gemini) for specific Tokyo recommendations tailored to a first-timer’s trip. I’ll analyze its suggestions to see how helpful and practical they are.
Breaking Down an AI Example Itinerary
Here is an example of a day I pulled from Google’s new AI, Bard, for a 2 week trip recommendation to Tokyo, Japan. I’ve shared my notes in the “My Notes” column of the table.
AI Itinerary (AM)
| AI Plan | My Notes |
| Arrive in Tokyo and check into your hotel. | |
| Visit the Sensō-ji Temple, the oldest and most famous Buddhist temple in Tokyo. Take a walk through the bustling Nakamise shopping street. | Sensoji Temple should absolutely be on your list. But your experience will differ whether you go during the day or at night. During the day it has a bustling shopping street with souvenirs and delicious foods. But at night it is calm and beautifully lit up. It’s one of my favorites to for an evening visit. What AI doesn’t understand is part of a trip and plan is the timing and personality of the traveler. For those that love shopping and bustling atmospheres you should go during the day, for those that prefer quiet and peaceful temples with beautiful lights, go at night. |
| Visit the Tokyo Skytree, the tallest structure in Japan. | I recommend going to the Tokyo Metropolitan building for a view of Tokyo – it’s free and less crowded while still offering incredible views. Often there is a pianist playing there as well. When I went, someone was playing the Mario theme song on the piano. |
AI Itinerary (PM)
| Spend a day exploring the Harajuku district, known for its unique fashion and youth culture. | Spending an entire day in Harajuku may be a bit of a stretch. The popular shopping area in Harajuku is a bit of a tourist trap and claustrophobic, but the surrounding streets and area is really unique and fun to explore. Especially its proximity to Yoyogi Park. |
| Visit the Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. | I absolutely recommend Meiji shrine, but it’s best to go early to enjoy it to its fullest. You would usually visit before Harajuku instead of afterwards based on the subways stops and because you might be tired after walking and want to have a quick break at a cafe in Harajuku. |
| Take a walk through the serene Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Experience the nightlife in Shinjuku, Tokyo’s most vibrant nightlife district. | Shinjuku Park should be on everyone’s Tokyo list, but based on the day above – spending a day in Harajuku, visiting Meiji Shrine, Skytree, and Sensoji – this is near impossible! You’ll be going all around Tokyo. Also, Shinjuku Park is not open all day and you need a ticketed entry. |
Overly Generalized AI Itinerary
AI relies on data gathered online to recommend the most popular spots, which results in a very generalized itinerary designed to appeal to a wide audience. While this can be helpful as a starting point, it also means you’re likely to miss out on the unique and less touristy experiences a destination has to offer—especially those that align with your personal preferences.
To get more tailored recommendations, it’s important to share your interests and travel style with AI. This allows it to curate suggestions that better match your tastes. For instance, you might search for something like “An introvert’s guide to Tokyo,” “Quiet spots to relax in Tokyo,” or “Best nightlife spots in Shinjuku.” By focusing on niche guides that cater to your specific needs, you’ll save time and effort compared to sifting through generic lists that require additional research.
Unrealistic Time-frames
One of the biggest issues I’ve noticed with AI-generated travel itineraries is the lack of realistic planning and timing. Take the example itinerary above: the suggested number of locations for a 12–15 hour day is overly ambitious. Here’s some context:
Let’s say your hotel is in Shibuya, and you start your day at 8 AM. Your first stop is Sensoji Temple, which is a 45-minute subway ride away. After spending about two hours there, it’s around 11 AM. From there, you take a 10-minute subway ride to Sky Tree, spend an hour exploring, and then another 45-minute ride to Harajuku. By the time you grab lunch, it’s already 1–2 PM.
After wandering Harajuku for 2–3 hours, it’s 5 PM, and you’re supposed to visit Meiji Shrine. But with sunset approaching and closing times looming, you’re forced to rush. Meanwhile, you also need to fit in Yoyogi Park and dinner in Shinjuku, but Shinjuku Park (which closes at 4 PM) is already out of the question. By the end of the day, you’ll enjoy Shinjuku’s nightlife, but at the expense of missing two key parks and feeling rushed throughout your itinerary.
This overly packed schedule, combined with inefficient subway trips and scattered locations, makes poor use of your travel day. When visiting a city for the first time, you rely on accurate, well-organized information to make the most of your experience. Unfortunately, AI isn’t yet capable of creating realistic itineraries that account for travel time, closing hours, or the flexibility needed for unexpected changes.
Inaccurate Information
AI should factor in business hours when creating itineraries, but let’s be honest—you’ll still need to verify this information yourself. For example, if you request a 10-day itinerary and the AI suggests visiting a specific attraction on day 3 when it’s closed, you’ll need to rearrange your plans. If you’re unfamiliar with the area, it’s easy to miss details like this and make mistakes. Take Italy, for instance, where many businesses close for an afternoon break—AI may not account for this or even warn you about it.
Another common issue is that AI often overlooks travel time. In one example, it might suggest visiting Shinjuku Park, but by the time you arrive, it’s already closed. Plus, you could end up spending nearly 3 hours of your day on the subway. These inefficiencies can throw off your entire schedule, leaving you scrambling to adjust.
While AI can be helpful in organizing ideas, it’s not yet capable of understanding the nuances of real-world travel logistics.
Final Thoughts on AI Itineraries
Overall, AI is an incredible tool, but it hasn’t yet mastered the art of crafting the “perfect” travel itinerary. There’s a reason travel agents are still in demand and why travel blogs and vlogs continue to thrive—the human touch. People excel at creating efficient, creative travel plans, knowing which spots locals actually frequent, how to navigate from point A to point B, and which places might be unexpectedly closed.
That’s not to say AI lacks value. It’s a fantastic starting point, offering a quick snapshot of top recommendations and potential ways to organize your trip. Will I use it for my next adventure? Absolutely—as a starting point. But I’ll also be cross-referencing it with insights from real people to align with how I want to experience my destination.
Whether you’re a traveler or part of the travel industry, understanding both the strengths and limitations of AI can help you make the most of this evolving technology. While AI may not replace the excitement of exploring a new place, it certainly makes planning the journey there much easier.
