More than one in three travellers say they would trust AI to complete a booking, taking the technology beyond destination suggestions and price searches. The WTM Global Travel Report 2026 puts the figure at 36%, with a pronounced divide between age groups.
Among respondents aged 18–34, 54% express that trust, compared with 18% of those aged 55 and over. The report's findings, covered on 4 November, describe attitudes in a survey. They do not mean that 36% of travel reservations are already being completed autonomously.
Searching is not buying
Willingness to use AI is higher for searching and comparing prices, at 58%, and for recommendations, at 53%. Those are different stages of a journey: asking a system to suggest a hotel does not give it permission to accept a cancellation policy or spend money.
The distinction matters as travel tools move from answering questions towards carrying out tasks. A useful itinerary can still contain an unsuitable connection, a room without the required accessibility features or a fare with restrictions the traveller would not accept.
Who makes the final decision?
The practical question is how much authority the traveller gives the system. A sensible booking flow should make the final price, baggage allowance, passenger details, refund rules and payment step clear before a commitment is made. Assistance and autonomy should not be treated as the same product.
For hotels and airlines, the findings point to a possible change in how customers discover and compare offers. They do not establish which provider will win those bookings. For travellers, the immediate opportunity is help with a complex search; the responsibility is to understand what has been proposed and what, if anything, has actually been purchased.
