A profound shift is underway in global travel behaviour — and it is happening faster than many in the industry may realise.
According to new research from Phocuswright, 56% of U.S. leisure travellers have used artificial intelligence for at least one trip in the past 12 months, up from 43% just months earlier and more than double the level seen in 2024. It is, the firm says, “the fastest behavioural shift in a decade.”
This is not a marginal trend. It is a structural transformation in how travellers dream, plan, book and experience their journeys.
“AI has crossed the threshold from curiosity to utility,” said Pete Comeau, managing director of Phocuswright. Travellers are no longer experimenting — they are integrating AI into the heart of their decision-making.
Generative platforms such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini are now used by 33% of travellers for trip research, a fivefold increase since 2024. That figure is already approaching traditional search engines at 35%. In other words, travellers are no longer simply searching — they are asking.
Yet the report also challenges a common assumption. Despite the rise of AI-generated answers, 51% of travellers still click through to source websites, while only 8% say AI responses alone are sufficient.
This is a crucial insight for tourism stakeholders. AI may shape inspiration and shortlist options — but websites still play a decisive role in validation and conversion. For destinations across the Middle East, this is both a warning and an opportunity.
The new battleground: clarity and credibility
As travellers increasingly rely on AI for recommendations, the way destinations present themselves must evolve.
AI tools favour:
- clear descriptions
- structured, factual information
- strong, distinctive positioning
A vague “luxury desert experience” is unlikely to stand out. A clearly defined, experience-led proposition — a private sunset dinner in the dunes with live music, within easy reach of a major city — is far more likely to be surfaced and recommended.
In the age of AI, clarity becomes visibility. Perhaps the most significant shift is happening after travellers arrive.
The study shows that 51% of travellers now use AI for real-time recommendations during their trip, and 95% rate it as helpful for tasks such as navigation, discovering neighbourhoods and managing reservations. This fundamentally changes how destinations compete.
The question is no longer simply: Why should I visit?
It becomes: What should I do right now?
Destinations that can guide travellers in real time — through intelligent tools, partnerships or seamless digital ecosystems — will capture more engagement and more spend.
A challenge for Middle Eastern tourism players
The Middle East has invested heavily in infrastructure, experiences and positioning itself as a global tourism powerhouse. But this new behaviour shift requires a parallel evolution in digital strategy.
Key priorities include:
- Becoming visible to AI platforms
Content must be structured, detailed and authoritative to be surfaced by AI tools. - Winning the “click-through moment”
With half of travellers still verifying information, websites must convert — quickly, clearly and convincingly. - Designing AI-friendly experiences
Products need to be easy to describe, easy to differentiate, and easy for AI to recommend. - Supporting travellers in real time
From concierge services to destination apps, AI-assisted guidance is becoming an expectation. - Training teams to understand AI behaviour
Tourism professionals must learn how travellers now ask questions — not just how they search.
A window of opportunity
Crucially, this shift is not limited to younger travellers. While millennials lead adoption at 74%, usage among Gen X has reached 50%, and even baby boomers have more than doubled their usage in six months to 27%.
This is a broad-based transformation — not a niche trend.
For Middle Eastern destinations, the opportunity is clear: those who adapt early can shape how they are discovered, understood and experienced in this new AI-driven landscape.
Those who delay risk becoming invisible at the very moment travellers are deciding where to go next. As Comeau notes, AI’s strongest role today is “reducing friction at the moments when travellers need context, comparison and confidence.”
In that sense, the challenge is simple — but urgent: be present, be clear, and be useful — wherever and whenever the traveller asks.
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KEY TAKE-AWAYS:
1. Stop thinking “SEO” — start thinking “AI visibility”
Key insight: Travelers are no longer just searching — they are asking.
👉 What to push:
- Tourism boards and hotels must ensure their content is AI-readable and structured (clear descriptions, FAQs, updated info).
- Invest in authoritative, narrative-rich content (AI tools favour clear, trustworthy sources).
- Encourage partners to publish detailed, experience-led pages, not just listings.
👉 Message to industry:
“If your content isn’t being picked up by AI tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, you’re invisible at the inspiration stage.”
2. Own the “verification moment”
The study is gold here: 51% still click through to websites.
👉 This is your opportunity.
- Websites must be:
- fast
- mobile-first
- visually compelling
- instantly reassuring
👉 Encourage:
- Clear pricing
- Transparent policies
- Strong visuals + real reviews
👉 Message:
“AI inspires — but your website closes the deal.”
Middle Eastern players (especially luxury) already have strong assets — but often underperform digitally at the conversion stage.
3. Design experiences for AI-assisted travellers (not traditional ones)
Travelers are now using AI during the trip (51% for real-time help).
👉 That changes everything.
Encourage:
- Restaurants, attractions, hotels to be:
- easy to describe in one sentence
- clearly positioned (“best sunset spot”, “family-friendly beach club”, etc.)
AI thrives on clarity and differentiation.
👉 Example shift:
- ❌ “Luxury desert experience”
- ✅ “Private sunset dune dinner 45 minutes from Riyadh with live oud music”
👉 Message:
“If AI can’t describe you clearly, it won’t recommend you.”
4. Create AI-friendly destination ecosystems
Middle East destinations (Saudi, UAE, Qatar) have an advantage: they are master-planned.
Now they must be AI-integrated.
👉 Ideas to push:
- Official AI assistants for destinations (white-labelled or custom)
- होटल / DMO partnerships with AI tools for:
- itineraries
- neighbourhood guides
- live recommendations
👉 Message:
“The destination that guides the traveller in real time wins the spend.”
5. Rethink concierge and guest services
AI is replacing part of the traditional concierge role.
👉 Encourage hotels to:
- integrate AI chat tools into:
- websites
- in-room tablets
But — crucially — blend AI with human service (key for Middle Eastern luxury positioning).
👉 Message:
“AI should enhance hospitality, not replace it — speed + human warmth is the winning formula.”
6. Train teams to “think like AI users”
This is often overlooked.
👉 Staff (sales, marketing, concierge) should:
- actively use AI tools themselves
- understand how travellers phrase requests
- learn what AI doesn’t answer well
👉 Message:
“You can’t sell to an AI-driven traveller if you don’t behave like one.”
7. Leverage the Middle East’s storytelling advantage
AI thrives on rich narratives — and this is where the region excels.
👉 Encourage:
- deeper storytelling around:
- heritage
- culture
- experiences
- local personalities
👉 Because:
AI tools don’t just list — they recommend experiences.
👉 Message:
“The destinations that tell better stories will dominate AI recommendations.”
8. Act now — not in 2 years
The most important takeaway from the Phocuswright release:
👉 This is the fastest behavioural shift in a decade.
And it’s already mainstream:
- 56% using AI
- 95% finding it useful in-destination
👉 Message:
“This isn’t early adoption anymore — this is the new standard traveller.”
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Read also: 40% Growth Forecast for M.E. Travel Sector Through 2026
