When AI Becomes the Travel Agent: How Tourists Negotiate Trust, Autonomy, and Authenticity in AI-Generated Travel Decisions
Abstract
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly transforming how tourists search for information, plan itineraries, and make travel decisions. However, limited qualitative research explains how tourists negotiate their agency when AI becomes actively involved in travel decision-making. This study explores how tourists experience GenAI-mediated travel decisions, focusing on autonomy, trust, skepticism, authenticity, and spontaneity. Drawing on a qualitative research approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six tourists who had experience using GenAI for travel planning. Thematic analysis identified five interconnected themes: AI as a travel decision partner; between convenience and decision autonomy; trust, verification, and skepticism; the tension between ai optimization and travel spontaneity; and reconstructing authenticity in AI-mediated travel. The findings indicate that tourists perceive GenAI as a decision partner rather than a replacement for human judgment. AI enhances planning convenience but can increase reliance, making autonomy a negotiated process. Trust is conditional and supported by verification, while AI optimization creates tensions with spontaneity. Furthermore, AI can facilitate authentic experiences while potentially contributing to algorithmic standardization. The study contributes to tourism research by conceptualizing AI-mediated travel decision-making as a process of negotiated agency between tourists and AI.
