Three years of TripGenie: how travelers around the world are using AI differently | News
As AI becomes an everyday part of travel planning, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: while the technology is global, the way travelers use it is anything but uniform. New data from TripGenie, Trip.com’s AI travel assistant, shows that three years of real-world use has revealed new patterns in the way travelers plan, decide and navigate their trips.
What started as a functional tool has grown into a trusted end-to-end travel companion, revealing how culture, geography and travel habits shape the role AI plays during the travel journey.
Cultural differences in AI use
The use of AI shows that planning rhythms vary significantly across markets, reflecting unique travel behaviors. For example, travelers from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Italy and France are the most likely to use AI in their travel experience.
Data shows that travelers in highly connected short-haul markets interact with and rely on TripGenie more often per trip as a real-time decision-making partner. This includes pre-hotel bookings, attraction guides and on-site inspiration, reflecting the fast-paced travel styles seen in markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.
In contrast, travelers in parts of Europe and North America tend to use AI earlier in the planning cycle. In markets like Germany and the United Kingdom, planning periods are longer and more deliberate, with travelers consulting TripGenie weeks in advance. Most of these questions relate to flight and hotel products, reducing risk and providing certainty before booking.
The decision speed also varies greatly. For example, travelers in South Korea and Taiwan often complete hotel bookings just days before departure, with AI supporting decisions about location and nearby amenities. While this is a general trend in Asia, Japan is an exception: travelers typically book accommodation weeks in advance, reflecting a preference for certainty and early confirmation.
Southern European markets such as Italy, France and Spain are between these two ends of the spectrum and show fairly spontaneous booking behavior.
Using AI throughout the entire travel journey
Travelers are increasingly using AI at multiple stages of their journey. TripGenie data shows that users are moving from broad exploratory questions to targeted decisions about bookings and itineraries. This indicates that AI is becoming an integral part of travel planning.
TripGenie’s AI-enabled order volume on Trip.com increased approximately 400% year-over-year, indicating greater trust in AI for inspiration and bookings.
Usage of core TripGenie tools, such as hotel comparison, menu assistance and live translation, has increased approximately 300% year-over-year, indicating that travelers are now using AI as a reliable tool during a trip, rather than as a one-time search function.
Additionally, pre- and post-sale questions now account for about a quarter of all interactions. Travelers increasingly rely on TripGenie to handle nuanced, real-world scenarios, from trip changes to destination questions.
AI: a reliable guide to smart decisions
As travel decisions become more complex, AI helps travelers reduce uncertainty every step of the way, from exploring options and asking questions to choosing with confidence.
Nearly 60% of TripGenie interactions are now booking-related, ranging from hotels, flights and attractions. Travelers often ask practical questions for reassurance: Does this hotel meet their needs? Is the location safe? Does this travel policy apply?
Additionally, in addition to conversational interaction, users will also compare travel options, such as TripGenie’s hotel comparison feature, which streamlines the process and reduces the number of clicks required by 80%, and drives greater engagement with a 45% increase in 7-day AI revisit rates.
How travelers are using AI in key travel products
When it comes to traveling, you need three basic things: a flight, a place to stay, and something to see. But the way AI is used in these products varies greatly.
Escape: AI has become a useful tool to allay concerns. More than half of travelers regularly consult AI to check lounge eligibility, baggage rules and premium services before booking. This is because such information is often scattered across airline websites, credit card terms and fine print, making it time-consuming to interpret without AI assistance.
Accommodation: AI reduces risk by verifying facilities, distances and suitability for a wide range of accommodation types. Of the users who used TripGenie’s hotel comparison tools, more than half selected a hotel that directly matched the AI’s recommendation. By allowing travelers to quickly confirm policies and property details that would otherwise require checking multiple sources or contacting hotels directly, AI helps reduce uncertainty in bookings.
Attractions: Attraction-related questions are increasingly focused on cultural moments, unique experiences and overall tourism value. Many are turning to AI for real-time inspiration, asking what to do today, what experiences are worth having, or how to explore a destination like a local. This reflects the power of AI in providing contextual and narrative insights, helping travelers understand the cultural meaning and experiential value behind attractions
Beyond Text: The Rise of Multimodal AI Travel
As journeys unfold in real time, travelers are increasingly engaging with TripGenie beyond text. Globally, a growing proportion of users are now uploading images to support their queries, from menus and street signs to landmarks, hotel rooms and transport information. Re-visit rates among these users remain high, with a seven-day re-visit rate twice that of the platform as a whole.
This shift reflects how travelers experience the world: visually, intuitively and often in unfamiliar environments. In particular, users who engage in image-based interactions show significantly higher short-term revisit rates than the platform average, indicating strong satisfaction and deeper trust.
Despite the different usage patterns, one thing remains consistent: across all markets, TripGenie supports local travel behavior rather than reshaping it. Whether supporting long-term planners or last-minute decision makers, Trip.com’s AI adapts seamlessly throughout the travel journey, reinforcing its position as a globally available yet locally nuanced travel companion.
