When Do Travelers Trust a Travel Advisor Instead of AI?

(Feature Impact) Travelers are more likely to trust a travel advisor over AI when the trip becomes complicated, expensive or likely to change. According to new research from ALG Vacations, a leading vacation package provider, 77% of AI users say they are likely to still rely on a human to make final travel decisions when using AI to plan.

The pattern is strongest among younger travelers. Millennials and Gen Z are using travel advisors at the highest rates of any generation, even as they also report higher trust in AI travel recommendations. Younger travelers are using AI and travel advisors for different parts of the same trip.

Are Millennials and Gen Z still using travel advisors?

Yes. Younger travelers are using both AI and travel advisors. In fact, among AI users, the youngest generations use travel advisors most:

• 51% of Millennials have used a travel advisor when booking a vacation
• 51% of Gen Z say the same
• 44% of Baby Boomers report advisor use
• 43% of Gen X report advisor use

The same generations leading on advisor use are also the most trusting of AI travel recommendations. Among AI users, 31% of both Millennials and Gen Z say they completely trust travel recommendations generated by AI, compared with 12% of Baby Boomers. They are using both.

When should you use a travel advisor instead of AI?

Consider using a travel advisor over AI when the stakes are high. AI users turn to travel advisors most often in these scenarios:

• 36% when something goes wrong, such as a canceled flight or a double-booked hotel
• 31% for complex or multi-destination trips
• 27% for group or family travel
• 27% for luxury or high-cost trips

When forced to choose between AI and a travel advisor for final vacation decisions, 44% of AI users pick a travel advisor and 37% pick AI. Among Baby Boomers, the gap widens sharply, with 59% picking a travel advisor and 15% picking AI.

What does a travel advisor bring that AI cannot?

Travel advisors bring human judgment, planning experience and direct support when a trip becomes more complicated. Among AI users, 82% say having access to a human for support when booking a vacation is extremely or very important.

That support matters when travelers are comparing options, booking a higher-cost trip, coordinating multiple people or adjusting plans after a disruption. AI can organize information quickly, but travelers still cite practical concerns about relying on it entirely.

The specific value travel advisors provide includes:

• Relationships with the people who run resorts, hotels and tour operators
• Access to deals and amenities not always available to the public
• Firsthand experience and industry knowledge
• Real-time support when plans change
• Judgment and personalization for complex trip planning

The top concerns AI users have about relying entirely on AI include important details being missed (42%), privacy or security concerns (42%) and having no support if something goes wrong (39%).

Is AI going to replace travel advisors?

No. The data shows AI and travel advisors, still commonly known as travel agents, serving complementary roles rather than competing ones.

AI is used for the research and inspiration stages of travel planning. Travel advisors are used for the booking, more complex decisions and moments when travelers want a person involved.

AI is now part of how people plan trips. Travel advisors are too. The travelers most comfortable using AI are also the ones turning to advisors most often.

To learn more about ALG Vacations and connect with a travel advisor, visit alg.www.vaxvacationaccess.com.

Methodology

ALG Vacations commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,000 U.S. adults who currently use AI tools. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. Fieldwork was conducted between April 24 and April 28, 2026.

Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.