Report: 95% of APAC travellers eager for AI

95% of APAC travellers are excited about AI’s role in travel, according to Booking.com’s inaugural "Global AI sentiment report", launched at its Trust Summit 2025 in Singapore.

Based on insights from over 37,000 consumers across 33 markets, the study explores how people are using, trusting, and responding to AI in everyday life, and increasingly, in travel. The findings revealed that APAC consumers are not only familiar with AI (82%) but eager to integrate it into their future travel experiences, with 93% indicating they plan to use it in trip planning.

While enthusiasm is high across APAC, the report also identified nuanced sentiments towards AI. About 41% of respondents in the region identify as "AI Enthusiasts", those curious about AI’s potential, while only 15% are "AI advocates", people who support its benefits and responsible use.

Don't miss: Study: 90% of APAC luxury travellers book with wellness in mind

Meanwhile, 8% said they were cautious about AI’s development, and 6% were classified as "AI skeptics". Notably, 16% of respondents identified as "AI detractors", suggesting that hesitancy around AI adoption remains present.

Globally, regional sentiment varied. Latin America leads in AI excitement (98%) and familiarity (89%), while APAC follows closely behind. In contrast, consumers in North America and Europe were more cautious, with higher levels of distrust in AI-generated content (32% and 29% respectively).

Despite widespread usage, 98% of global respondents reported using AI-powered search tools, and 83% said they had engaged with generative AI, trust remains limited. Only 8% said they fully trust AI, and just 16% are comfortable with AI making decisions on their behalf. Most users still prefer AI as a supportive tool rather than an autonomous one.

Travel emerged as a key area of AI integration. Globally, 75% of travellers have already used AI in planning or while on a trip, with APAC respondents especially open to autonomous trip planning (67%). AI is most commonly used for destination research, language translation, and navigating transport systems.

Booking.com also noted growing trust in AI assistants, particularly over influencers or peer recommendations, and increasing demand for AI to support more responsible travel. Respondents said they were interested to see AI tools help avoid crowded tourist spots and promote experiences that benefit local communities.

“Generative AI represents one of the most significant technological shifts of our era, opening up new possibilities across industries, including travel. At Booking.com, we’ve been at the forefront of AI innovation for a decade, integrating machine learning and AI to enhance the customer journey at every touchpoint, simplify complexity, inspire curiosity and empower people to shape journeys that feel truly personal," said Laura Houldsworth, managing director for APAC at Booking.com.

She added, "As travellers across APAC look for deeper meaning and connection in every trip, whilst planning their travels with ease, AI is helping to unlock more intuitive and imaginative travel experiences than ever before.”

The findings come as more travel brands in the region begin doubling down on AI investments to meet rising consumer expectations. Most recently, Singapore Airlines (SIA) has partnered with OpenAI to roll out advanced generative AI tools across its business, the first such collaboration between the ChatGPT-maker and a major airline.

The tie-up will see OpenAI’s multimodal capabilities, including text, audio, video, and image interpretation, integrated into SIA’s customer-facing platforms and internal operations. First on the runway: an overhaul of its AI-powered virtual assistant, which will soon offer smarter, more personalised travel planning and destination discovery tools.

Accelerate your brand’s growth with AI-first strategies, emerging tech and data-driven experiences. Join 500+ marketing leaders at Digital Marketing Asia 2025 Singapore on 24–25 September to uncover transformative trends, real-world wins and powerful ideas for 2025 and beyond. 

Related articles: 
Study: 81% of APAC shoppers want AI-powered shopping tools     
Study: 63% of APAC AI shoppers say the tech sparks better ideas    
Study: 73% of SEA shoppers say yes to AI but still want human support