Survey: 56% of Travelers UseAI Instead of Human Tour Guides

AI has overtaken human guides as travelers' #2 information source
56%
Use AI on Location
|
84%
Adoption Potential
|
1,024
Survey Respondents

AI Jumps Ahead of Human Guides as a Source of Travel Facts

Information sources travelers use to learn about destinations (respondents could choose multiple options)

100%75%50%25%0%
73%
Google
56%
ChatGPT / AI assistant
41%
On-site signs
37%
Human tour guides
34%
YouTube videos
22%
Locals / friends
Percentage (%)

📰 Headline Insight

  • AI jumps to #2 position as the top travel information source.For the first time, AI assistants (56%) have surpassed human tour guides (37%) as a preferred source of travel information. This is a milestone shift in traveler behavior. AI becomes a core part of how people explore destinations.
  • Google remains dominant, but AI is closing in: With Google at 73% and AI at 56%, the gap between traditional search and conversational guidance is shrinking fast. Travelers are turning to AI for richer, story-driven experiences that static search results don't provide.
  • Digital-first exploration is the new standard: On-site signs (41%) trail behind AI, while locals and friends rank last (22%), indicating that travelers increasingly rely on digital tools rather than word-of-mouth. This represents a clear cultural shift in how global tourism is experienced.

How Often Tourists Ask AI While Exploring Sites

31%25%28%16%
Multiple times (31%)
Once or twice (25%)
Not yet but interested (28%)
Never (16%)

📊 Key Finding

  • More than half of travelers (56%) have already used AI on location, with nearly one in three (31%) using it multiple times.
  • An additional 28% of travelers say they haven't tried AI yet but are interested, pushing potential adoption to 84%. This is a classic sign of an S-curve growth stage, similar to early smartphone adoption.
  • With this level of repeat usage, AI is positioning itself as a default travel companion, much like navigation apps became a decade ago.

What Travelers Use AI For On-Site

How travelers are using AI assistants when visiting landmarks and destinations

Getting historical facts
74%
Finding hidden stories
58%
Translating signs
42%
Getting directions
25%
0%25%50%75%100%
Percentage (%)

💡 Core Insight

  • A dominant 74% of travelers use AI for historical facts and 58% for hidden stories, proving that the real value of AI on-site is its depth, context, and storytelling.
  • AI is creating a new type of traveler behavior: Instead of relying on plaques, signs, or brochures, travelers now interact directly with an intelligent agent that can surface hyper-specific, layered stories. This transforms sightseeing into personalized learning experiences.
  • Strategic takeaway for the industry: Platforms that invest in rich, narrative-driven content will outperform purely functional apps. This is where AI storytelling and cultural depth become competitive differentiators.

AI vs. Human Engagement

Perceived engagement comparing AI assistants to human tour guides

Human guide more engaging
42%
About the same
34%
AI more engaging
24%
% of travelers by engagement perception

🗣️ Key Finding

  • 42% of travelers find human guides more engaging, underscoring the unique power of live storytelling, humor, and connection that only people can provide. This remains the single strongest differentiator between AI and humans in the travel experience.
  • But AI is closing the engagement gap fast: With 34% saying engagement feels "about the same" and 24% finding AI more engaging, a combined 58% of travelers either prefer AI or view it as equal. That's a clear sign AI has crossed the threshold from novelty to viable alternative.
  • Most users who find AI engagement sufficient likely fall into the "casual exploration" segment, travelers who value flexibility, speed, and convenience over personal connection. This group alone can sustain massive AI usage growth.
  • The emotional layer is the moat: For human guides, the opportunity is to amplify emotional depth and interactive performance, the things AI still can't fully replicate.

Would You Replace a Paid Tour With AI?

Maybe
43%
No
36%
Yes
21%
Percentage (%)

🤔 Key Finding

  • A combined 64% of travelers would either consider (43%) or definitely (21%) replace a paid human tour with AI. This signals a major behavioral shift from traditional guided tours to self-directed exploration.
  • The largest share, 43% of respondents, is undecided but open, indicating high latent demand. This group will likely convert as soon as AI experiences reach higher engagement and reliability standards.
  • Paid tours face growing substitution pressure: Even travelers who prefer human guides may still use AI as a supplement, especially for cost savings, personalization, or schedule flexibility. This doesn't eliminate paid tours but reshapes their role into premium, high-touch experiences.
  • AI's value proposition is convenience + cost: AI offers on-demand, multilingual, and personalized guidance at zero or minimal cost, which directly challenges the price-based advantage of traditional tours in many markets.

Top Requested Features for AI Guides

What features do travelers want most in AI tour guide assistants

Offline mode (no data needed)
72%
Voice narration mode
51%
AR overlay / image recognition
47%
AI Travel Diary
42%
0%25%50%75%100%
% of travelers interested

✨ Key Finding

  • Offline mode (72%) is by far the #1 priority, reflecting travelers' concerns about data roaming costs and connectivity in remote areas. This need outweighs all other features, suggesting AI platforms must prioritize downloadable, offline-capable guides.
  • Connectivity is the hidden barrier to AI growth: Unlike urban-focused tech products, travel experiences often happen in remote, low-signal locations. Offline capability removes one of the last practical obstacles between interested travelers and actual adoption.
  • Voice narration (51%) and AR overlays (47%) highlight a desire for natural interaction — travelers want to look at the world, not their screens. This aligns with a broader trend toward multimodal, experiential AI interfaces.
  • Personalization matters too: The 42% demand for AI travel diaries shows people don't just want information — they want to capture, personalize, and relive their journeys. This shifts AI from guide to companion.
  • Strategic takeaway: accessibility before flash. Many AI tourism platforms are racing to build flashy AR and 3D features, but offline usability will win adoption first. Platforms that solve for coverage, accessibility, and simplicity will dominate the early market.

📋 About This Study

  • Source: All-in-One AI "AI Tourist 2025" study
  • Sample Size: 1,024 respondents
  • Geographic Coverage: EU / US / Asia
  • Survey Period: August – September 2025
  • Methodology: Online survey with balanced demographic representation across age groups, genders, and travel frequency. Respondents were asked about their information-seeking behavior while traveling and their experiences with AI assistants at tourist destinations.

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