Is artificial intelligence in tourism still popular but not profitable?

With the buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) heating up, different industries are racing to figure out how they can best leverage the new technology. The travel industry is no exception, having spent years figuring out how to adapt to an increasingly digital world, whether it’s virtual reality museum tours or automated chatbots helping with booking requests.

However, as the chart below shows, despite the advent of new tools, the digitization of travel has not really entered the radar of most U.S. adults. According to the Statista Consumer Insights Travel & Tourism Special, only about one in five respondents are interested in using features such as smart home devices, virtual tours or identification technology in their accommodations.

However, when broken down by age, some groups are more receptive than others. For example, using AI to help with travel bookings only appeals to 19% of U.S. adults, with those aged 25-34 (26%) and 35-44 (25%) being more interested.

When comparing countries, U.S. adults are more interested in future opportunities for technology in travel than their British or German counterparts. For example, 17% of British respondents and 13% of German respondents are interested in virtual reality travel, compared to 20% in the U.S.

Across all three countries, holidaymakers still appear to prefer a human touch to full digitalisation, with only around one in ten being attracted by the idea of ​​a service robot (13% in the US, 11% in Germany and 10% in the UK).