Tripadvisor Uses AI to Personalize Travel Itineraries

Tripadvisor has added an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered travel itinerary generator to its travel guidance platform.

This new addition to the company’s Trips product uses OpenAI’s generative AI technology to craft personalized travel itineraries based on insights from travelers’ reviews and opinions posted on the platform, Tripadvisor said in a Wednesday (July 19) press release.

“By harnessing the power of generative AI, we can begin to fully unlock the potential of our platform’s unparalleled review and traveler intent data, allowing us to offer truly unique travel guidance to our members,” Tripadvisor President and CEO Matt Goldberg said in the release. “This launch represents an important milestone in Tripadvisor’s strategy and is just one element of our plan to drive deeper engagement with travelers on our platform.”

To use the new feature, travelers are prompted to enter their destination and travel dates, who they’re traveling with and the types of activities they’re interested in, according to the press release. They then receive a personalized, day-by-day itinerary that can be saved, edited and shared with travel companions.

The AI feature is currently only accessible to users in the United States via desktop and mobile web, with a focus primarily on experience, attraction and dining recommendations, the release said. Tripadvisor plans to make the feature available in more markets and on native app platforms as the beta progresses.

“Personalized results and recommendations from fellow travelers are two of the most important elements of the planning process and generative AI has helped us bring them together in a way we think will be really compelling for travelers,” Tripadvisor Chief Product Officer Sanjay Raman said in the release. “Over the coming months, we’ll continue to upgrade our Trips product – improving the personalization of AI-powered itineraries and expanding the suite of travel planning tools we offer.”

PYMNTS research has found that travel is has been one of the last discretionary items consumers give up in their ongoing battle against inflation.

As they plan their travel, a growing number of consumers are turning to digital tools to streamline the process, according to “The ConnectedEconomy Monthly Report: Digitally Divided: Work, Health and the Income Gap.”

For example, over the past year, there has been a 16% increase in both the number of consumers checking online travel information and the number purchasing airfare digitally, the report found.