[SINGAPORE] Like most tech-savvy experts who have become part of everyday life, it was natural for Tan Zia Hui to start using it to plan their holidays.
The founder of Branding Agency Fable took the usual route with apps like Wanderlog and ChatGpt, but was disappointed by the results of the cookie-cutter that was provided immediately.
His excitement faded over time. “They lack the ability to be sensitive to travel time and contextual advice, providing surface information that is easy to reach search engines,” he explains.
Planning a family trip was even more tedious and AI couldn't provide reliable plan B tips. While procuring rail information for a trip from Hanoi, Vietnam to Sapa, he lamented, “the timing, businesses and the transfer (provided) of the station were all wrong.”
On a recent trip to Turkey, the bad wind conditions meant that all hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia had been cancelled except for a day.
“I kept giving repeated, pointless answers that I could find on Google too,” he says. “Human decisions and spontaneity had to lead.”
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I'll step on carefully
Tan has given up on AI for travel planning, but others such as Federico Folcia are still keen on the possibility.
The founder of Crane, a community-focused space provider and event curator, supports gathering information on Google Notebooklm, but he follows what he describes as “The Russian approach: Trustworthy but Verification.”
“I'm always counter-checked, especially since locations can be closed or information can become faster and outdated,” he adds. “I like to map everything manually to Google Maps, so I'm double checking anyway.”
Their experience shows that the effectiveness of AI depends on specific needs and different expectations. It also highlights how validation is important to avoid “hagazes,” or misleading consequences generated by AI.
Such feelings are reflected in Booking.com's first inauguration Global sentiment reportdiscussed the need to balance AI enthusiasm with safety, reliability and security issues.
The results of the report are derived from an online survey conducted between April and May 2025, with 37,000 respondents in 33 countries.
91% of consumers were excited about AI, but only 6% trusted it completely. Many still feel the need to verify the proposed information.
The study was presented at Booking.com Trust Summit 2025, held in Singapore on July 24th. The event brought together several major industry leaders to discuss threats and solutions related to AI and travel.
Trust factors
Booking.com launched its Generated AI Travel Planner in June 2023, built into the existing online conversation interface. Therefore, the challenge of gaining consumer trust through deep and deep breathing of ethical and security concerns is a hit close to home.
“As the public and private sector continue to invest in AI as a catalyst for growth, we enter a new era of adoption, not only bringing important opportunities, but also sharing responsibility.” Global sentiment report.
“As we guide our customers and the entire travel industry into this new chapter, it is essential to build trust, be transparent and prioritize safety.”
Laura Houldsworth, Booking.com, Managing Director of Asia-Pacific, shared at the summit how the Covid-19 pandemic has shaped current attitudes towards travel. “Travelers are looking for something different. The expectations are high, the scenery is more complicated. (At the same time), and there is an information overload.”
Therefore, the AI's ability to provide speed, convenience and some degree of personalization on itinerary is timely. However, the initiation or continuous use of a user's AI tool will depend on whether the actual concerns are met accurately.
Within Booking.com, this responsibility rests on leaders such as Marnie Wilking and her team. As the company's chief security officer, she faces the difficult, everyday task of protecting users while using the platform.
AI and con artists
Also at the summit, Willking noted a significant increase in fraud when Openai was released in November 2022. “Attackers used Fish's email to make it very easy for AI to create emails that look realistic in many languages and at large.”
Wilking explained that the industry is particularly vulnerable to its weaknesses, based on two specific points regarding the nature of travel.
The first is a scammer who preys on the “useful nature” of the hospitality industry. For example, you might try to have a hotel clerk click on the link. They may be suspicious, but I'll continue anyway as they're trying to help. The second point is the con artist who preys on the “emotional nature” of travelers.
“These are people who spent a year planning and saving to give their families a great experience. (The scammers may cancel their trip if they don't click on the link,” Wilking explained.
If Conmen recognizes the benefits of AI, companies like Booking.com do so too.
“We also use AI to detect and defend those attacks, to ensure that malicious links cannot pass, to ensure that suspicious attachments cannot reach travelers or partners, and to reach fraudulent properties (tracing) before posting to the site.
Human elements
Ultimately, like many other digital tools, AI is a double-edged sword. Wilking emphasized that travelers themselves should be wary.
For example, if AI accommodation proposals are suspicious, they will need to call the property to make sure it is legal. She also advised users to maintain communications and transactions within the Booking.com portal, allowing them to track, verify or modify them.
By traveling as a personal passion and work, Mark Wong, a small luxury hotel in the world (SLH), Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific, is keenly aware of the pros and cons of AI, especially when traveling and researching new destinations.
“At SLH, we employ AI for upselling and suggestive sales purposes based on customer search behavior. Our concerns are evolving around data security and guest privacy,” he says.
Wong added that while younger travelers are easily employed with AI to curate their itineraries, luxury travelers tend to make the choice “given by trusted travel advisors and direct hotel relationships” at least for now.
In his own travel plans, Wong may use AI apps quickly for quick inspiration and matching, but occasionally uses cross-checks between trusted websites and trustworthy sources such as friends, hotel owners, and concierge teams.
Avid travelers have come up with many memorable itineraries based on reliable recommendations and exploring places to walk.
“AI cannot (fully) replace human insights and knowledge that will make memorable travel safe and enriched,” he says. “The surprise and joy of discovery is more rewarding than clicking a button.”
