Most people like to travel. But far fewer people like to book.
A survey of more than 2,400 people who book their own travel arrangements found that 71% said the process was at least somewhat stressful for them, according to a 2024 survey from consumer data firm CivicScience. Surveys show the proportion is even higher among parents of children and teenagers.
Travel planning can involve wading through booking sites, star ratings, travel reviews and the fine print – first to find what to book, then to find the best deal.
Artificial intelligence will change this, and ChatGPT has proven that generative AI can provide itineraries and recommendations in seconds.
But Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel told CNBC Travel he wants to “go beyond” that.
Fogel said he wants Bookings’ brands, which include Booking.com, Agoda, Kayak, Priceline and OpenTable, to anticipate their needs rather than asking travelers to plan their trips from scratch.
“I want us to go and say to travelers, ‘Hey, we think, based on everything we know, you might be considering going to Naples, Italy. And using all the data we have, all the knowledge we have about our customers, they might Want something, try to start a conversation.
“That’s the difference,” he said.
In fact, travelers with preferences — for example, for connecting rooms, cribs, or hotel floors — won’t have to repeatedly ask for these extras because the AI will anticipate these requests.
“It’s like many, many years ago when there was a human travel agent dealing with people, and that travel agent knew everything about you,” he said. But “technology can do a better job than human travel agents.”
Generative AI should also evolve as travelers age, Fogel said, as they transition from trips to Ibiza in their 20s after college to trips to Disney World in their 30s.
“It should know everything about you,” Fogel said.
For example, when someone first requests a baby chair, it will indicate that the traveler may have a child, so future bookings will require a similar seat, he said.
One stop booking
According to statistics, in the 45 days before booking a trip, travelers spend an average of more than 5 hours reading approximately 141 travel-related web pages. “Path to Purchase” report released by Expedia Group in partnership with Luth Research.
But Fogel says booking an entire trip — from accommodations and flights to activities and meals — all at once is not a pipe dream.
But “I want more. I want someone to advise me,” he said.
“Let’s say I’m going on a very luxurious trip to London,” he said. “For example, our generative AI would say, there’s a great steakhouse in Mayfair that we think you’ll like [based on prior bookings]. By the way, they want to offer you incredible discounts on these beautiful red wines that we know you love. Personalization would be great.
How far is it?
Fogel said everyone wants to know when these new advanced planning tools will be available.
But as with all revolutionary technologies, “hype always far precedes actual use.”
Fogel said he may not know when, but he does know how the tools will arrive.
“It will be incremental, step by step. New services will be added, new products will be added,” he said. “As more and more information comes into our model, we will understand more and be able to provide better service.”
Fogel said the company has launched a generative artificial intelligence service called “Trip Planner” on Booking.com, which is currently in beta mode.
Still, “it just gives you a sense of the future,” he said.
As for when a simple, one-stop plan will arrive, “I can guarantee you, it won’t happen tomorrow,” he said. “But it will come. I know it.”
