AI Starts the Trip. Trust Closes It.

Proprietary Mower research reveals how AI is reshaping the path from travel discovery to decision.

AI is becoming a real starting point for travel planning. But getting recommended by AI is not the same as getting chosen.

In Mower’s 2026 survey of 1,000 AI-using U.S. leisure travelers, 28% said they would be most likely to start planning their next trip with an AI tool — nearly even with Google at 30%. Yet an AI recommendation rarely ends the search. Among travelers who have used AI for trip planning, 59% turn to Google and 49% visit the official website, while others compare prices, read reviews, check social content or seek another source before deciding.

AI may create the shortlist. Travelers still look for proof before they book.

Download the whitepaper to learn:

Where travelers trust AI — and where they still want control
What makes a travel brand easier for AI to understand and surface in relevant answers
Which sources travelers use to verify AI recommendations, and where inconsistencies can erode trust
How verification behavior differs by household and generation
How the discovery-to-decision challenge shifts across destinations, hotels, restaurants, airlines and tour operators
Five practical questions to assess your own brand’s AI-era traveler journey

The full whitepaper draws on Mower’s proprietary survey of 1,000 U.S. leisure travelers ages 18–64 who use AI at least occasionally and explores what the findings mean for brands competing from discovery through decision.

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