AI and Travel: 10 Ways AI Can Help Plan Your Next Vacation
With advancements in artificial intelligence, we are seeing the technology infiltrate the way we live, work, and now, vacation! One of the greatest challenges once deciding to go on a trip is the planning process. From flights to hotel reservations to tours and excursions, the planning process can become overwhelming quickly. We dive into 10 ways to use AI to plan your next vacation, help save you time and money, and maximize your experience.
1. Destination Recommendations
AI travel planning tools can analyze your travel history, interests, and budget to suggest ideal destinations. For example, Google’s AI-powered “Things to Do” feature suggests locations based on past searches, while platforms like ChatGPT or Roam Around can generate customized destination ideas based on popular tourist destinations.
2. Budget Planning
AI can track travel expenses, compare prices, and suggest cost-effective alternatives. Apps like Hopper use AI to predict flight and hotel prices, helping you book at the lowest rates and saving you time checking flight prices multiple times a week. TravelSpend tracks expenses and categorizes them automatically so you can pre-determine your budget for shopping, experiences, food, and more and stay within your budget.
3. Flight and Hotel Search
AI-powered tools scan thousands of booking sites in real-time to find the best deals. Two of the most popular sites, Skyscanner and Kayak, use AI to suggest the best time to book flights and provide personalized hotel recommendations based on your preferences.
4. Personalized Itinerary Creation
AI can generate a detailed itinerary based on your interests, the duration of your stay, and even real-time weather updates. Google Bard (Gemini) and TripIt organize your bookings and suggest attractions. AI tools like PlanTrips.net can create a day-by-day itinerary for you. Simply provide a specific prompt like “Create an itinerary for a 3-day trip in Venice, Italy including meals and guided tours, and provide a packing list.” You can then work with AI to tailor the itinerary to your liking, saving you hours of research and planning.
5. Weather Forecasting
AI can analyze historical weather patterns and real-time forecasts, helping you plan accordingly. For example, The Weather Channel’s AI-based forecasting provides up-to-date travel weather alerts, while apps like WeatherSpark offer detailed climate trends for specific locations. This is especially helpful when trying to plan a trip months in advance.
6. Language Translation
AI-powered translators help travelers communicate in foreign languages. Google Translate and iTranslate provide real-time speech and text translations, and AI travel companion apps like SayHi allow travelers to have spoken conversations in different languages giving you the confidence to travel to countries where you may not speak or understand the native language(s). This can ease much of the stress of travel.
7. Navigation and Transportation
AI can suggest the best transportation options and optimize travel routes. For example, Google Maps and Citymapper use AI to provide live traffic updates and transit recommendations, while Uber and Lyft use AI to estimate ride costs and suggest the fastest routes. This can be especially helpful in countries where the main transit systems differ from your home experience (i.e. high-speed trains, walking, and even camel-back).
8. Local Experience Recommendations
AI can recommend off-the-beaten-path attractions and experiences based on user reviews and trends. Foursquare and Yelp use AI to suggest must-visit places, while Viator and GetYourGuide curate local experiences, from cooking classes to adventure tours. This is useful when you or your friends want to steer away from the tourist “hot spots” and possibly try more authentic cuisine or experiences– highly recommended for the frequent traveler!
9. Travel Document Assistance
AI can help ensure you have the right travel documents by providing visa requirements, travel advisories, and reminders reducing the time you need to spend planning the “not fun” stuff. iVisa and Sherpa use AI to check visa requirements based on your nationality and destination, and AI-powered chatbots on airline websites can assist with passport or COVID-19 travel regulations.
10. Safety and Health Alerts
AI can monitor safety conditions, send emergency alerts, and recommend health precautions. Safeture and Sitata use AI to provide real-time safety alerts, including political unrest, natural disasters, and health advisories, while Google Maps can warn about high-crime areas ensuring you have a safe and low-stress trip.
Make Planning Your Next Trip Easy
While AI technology can’t remove all of the hassle of vacation planning, it is changing the future of travel by saving travelers time, money, and stress. More importantly, whether you’re planning a short weekend trip or a multi-week backpacking excursion, AI can make sure you are optimizing your time while on vacation to include all of the activities and destinations you want to include in your experience. From planning to booking, to packing, and returning home get creative on your next trip and let us know how you use AI to plan a vacation.
