60% of Travelers Still Prefer Human Trip Planning Over AI, New Civitatis Survey Finds

Nearly half of travelers report inaccurate AI-generated travel info—most often hours, pricing, and availability. AI is used for inspiration, but travelers verify details on trusted platforms before booking.

 

Madrid, Spain, 10 March 2026 — Despite the rapid rise of generative AI tools in travel planning, 60% of travelers still prefer human-curated recommendations and verified information, according to a survey of more than 7,000 users conducted by Civitatis, a leading global marketplace for guided tours and excursions in Spanish and Portuguese.

 

The study also highlights growing concerns about the reliability of AI-generated travel advice. Nearly half of respondents who have used AI to help plan a trip say they have encountered incorrect or outdated information, particularly when it comes to dynamic details such as opening hours, prices, or real-time availability.

 

These findings suggest that while artificial intelligence is increasingly used as a starting point for travel inspiration or logistical questions, travelers still rely heavily on trusted platforms and human verification before making final decisions.

 

AI as inspiration, human verification for decisions

According to the survey, AI is most commonly used by travelers as an initial research tool — for example to generate ideas, itineraries or general destination information. However, once recommendations are received, users tend to immediately verify them through search engines or specialized travel platforms to confirm accuracy.

 

Respondents who reported encountering errors in AI-generated information cited outdated schedules, broken links, incorrect pricing, or attractions appearing open when they were actually closed as some of the most common issues.

 

“While AI is a powerful ally for inspiration, real travel planning requires certainties that only the expert judgment of our teams and the real experiences of our customers can provide,” says Andrés Spitzer, CEO of Civitatis. “In a digital environment saturated with content, our value lies in the credibility and expert opinion of our community. Technology can suggest options, but trust and accuracy can only be guaranteed by the human factor.”

 

Travelers still value personal planning

The survey also reveals that a majority of travelers are not yet actively using AI to organize their trips. More than 60% of respondents say they still do not rely on AI tools for travel planning.

 

Among the reasons cited are a preference for designing itineraries independently and a lack of familiarity with how AI tools can be applied to travel planning.

 

The results come from a particularly experienced traveler profile: more than 65% of respondents are over the age of 46 and typically take between two and five trips per year, indicating that even frequent travelers continue to value direct planning and verified information sources.

 

Highlighting the role of human curation in travel

In response to these insights, Civitatis has launched a new campaign titled “Travel is Human,” aimed at highlighting the importance of human curation and verified travel experiences in an increasingly automated digital landscape.

 

As part of the initiative, the company created a fictional destination — the Island of San Elías — to illustrate how easily unverified or AI-generated information could lead travelers to places or experiences that do not actually exist.

 

The campaign also coincides with the launch of the company’s updated mobile app, designed to provide real-time travel information and access to millions of verified traveler reviews, two features identified by users as essential to ensuring the quality and reliability of their travel experience.

About Civitatis

Civitatis is a leading global platform for curated tours, activities and guided experiences in Spanish and Portuguese. With a portfolio of carefully selected experiences in more than 4,200 destinations worldwide, the platform connects over 1.2 million travelers each month with local tours and activities.

Built around simplicity, quality and service excellence, Civitatis combines proprietary technology with expert human curation to ensure a reliable travel experience. The platform features more than five million verified reviews and maintains an average rating of 9.1 out of 10, positioning it as one of the leading experiences marketplaces across Spain and Latin America.