Bridging the AI Trust Gap While Away From Home: Why Accountability Defines the Future of The Travel Customer Experience
Expedia Group — 2026 — Customer Experience
The research highlights a significant gap in consumer trust regarding AI in the travel sector. While travelers are open to using AI for planning and information gathering, they prefer to book through trusted brands, with 68% indicating a preference for established companies over AI platforms. Key barriers to trust include concerns about control, data privacy, and accountability, underscoring the need for brands to prioritize transparency and robust operational models to enhance consumer confidence in AI.
Key Statistics
- 68% of travelers prefer to book with a trusted travel company rather than directly through AI platforms.
- 66% explicitly state they do not trust AI to book on their behalf.
- 57% of travelers expressed concern over losing control when AI acts on their behalf.
- 57% cited data privacy as a major concern.
- 56% were worried about the misuse of their personal data.
Key Takeaways
- Implement clear AI usage policies to define when AI operates autonomously and when human intervention is required.
- Prioritize data privacy and security by investing in encryption, anonymization, and regular security audits.
- Establish accountability frameworks with clear escalation paths for AI-driven errors to ensure customer recourse.
- Develop high-quality, structured content to ensure accurate data fed to AI models, preventing misinformation.
- Avoid over-automating high-stakes decisions and ensure explicit customer consent for critical transactions.
Cite as: X. Amatriain. (2026). Bridging the AI Trust Gap While Away From Home: Why Accountability Defines the Future of The Travel Customer Experience. Retrieved from https://research.agilebrandguide.com/research/bridging-the-ai-trust-gap-while-away-from-home-why-accountability-defines-the-future-of-the-travel-customer-experience