World Tourism Day, which fell on Sept 27, once again took centre stage in the travel and hospitality sphere.
Marking its 47th celebration since United Nations World Tourism Organisation (currently known as UN Tourism) established the day in 1980 as a way to highlight the benefits of tourism, this year it is celebrated under the theme, “Digital agenda and artificial intelligence (AI) to redesign tourism”.
There’s no denying that AI has permeated almost every aspect of modern life, and the tourism sector is a leading adopter of this fast-growing technology.
Whether planning, booking or everything in between, customers and service providers alike are turning to AI to streamline the travel experience.
From the travellers’ perspective, planning a holiday typically involves visiting websites, scrolling through social media posts and reading reviews before finally piecing together an itinerary.
In recent years, these steps have been simplified, as many travellers are becoming increasingly reliant on the convenience of typing a few prompts into an AI chatbot or digital travel planner.
Key in the destination, trip duration and activities of interest and within seconds, the planner generates a custom itinerary, restaurant suggestions and even hotel directions.
AI is no doubt changing the tourism game, but as with any other technological advancement, it presents both advantages and disadvantages.
The good, the bad
For occupational health physician Dr Monesh Pillai, 40, AI has made holiday planning much easier.
Initially sceptical, he eventually found himself turning to it after using tools such as ChatGPT for other assistive purposes.
The biggest appeal for him is that it saves time. He says, “What used to take me many hours in the past could now be done within minutes.”
Rather than spending hours going through different websites and travel posts, Dr Monesh uses AI to get some ideas for his trip.
“I first decide on my destination and the duration of the trip. Then I put in prompts about the things I must do or see in these places and things that interest me,” he explains.
As someone who is a foodie, he also utilises AI for restaurant and cafe recommendations.
He experienced the convenience first-hand during a recent trip to Guangzhou, China. As this was his first visit to the country, he was worried about transportation, specifically on how to get from the airport to the city.
Instead of spending time comparing different options, he asked the conversational chatbot for the best ways to reach his hotel. The reply consisted of “very clear instructions” that he was able to easily follow.
Bonus point: He ended up paying much less.
Instead of taking a taxi that would have cost him around RM100, Dr Monesh paid about seven yuan (roughly RM5), for the journey.
He says experiences like this show why AI can be useful for holidaymakers, especially when they are not in a familiar destination.
Sharing a similar view is real estate agent Tang Gao Han, 28, who started using AI for travel about two years ago. He uses it to create itineraries, research destinations, find restaurants and organise routes.
“My prompt is like, ‘Give me 10 cafe-hopping spots that are worth visiting’,” says Tang.
On top of that, he asks AI to find attractions that are close to each other, so he can plan his day around places in the same area.
In the past, he would have to search for the places individually before marking them on Google Maps. Now, AI can take care of that first step for him.
He sees efficiency as its biggest advantage. “You don’t have to search for the same information across multiple websites, you can ask AI to list down the options for you.”
Having said that, he does raise a concern when it comes to “AI hallucinations”.
A problem he encountered during a trip to Bangkok, Thailand made him think twice about how much he should rely on AI.
During the trip, it mistook one place for another, sending him to the wrong location. He ended up having to find the place himself.
The mistake may sound trivial, but it can lead to frustration and even anxiety especially when navigating the unfamiliar landscape of a foreign country.
This experience has made him more cautious about using AI in general.
He still occasionally uses it for the convenience, but he emphasises that he will “... make sure to fact-check everything presented to me before making a decision,” he says.
For those who choose to use AI, it can be a way to get a head start, but Tang stresses that AI should never be the final authority.
Besides that, he has realised that the tool does not always know what a traveller personally enjoys. Its suggestions may be based on popular choices, but popular does not necessarily mean suitable for everyone.
“You know yourself best, so you know how to find things that you like, and the process of doing it is also fun,” he says. “It makes you motivated and anticipate your holiday. That’s something AI cannot offer.”
Another thing he has noticed is that the more efficiently AI plans a trip, the less room there can be for spontaneity.
This is something he misses from the days when he used to plan his holidays from scratch.
The big costs
Rhea Lee, 27, who enjoys planning her own holiday sans AI, is among the travellers who see no need for these shortcuts.
For Lee, who works in administration, the issue goes beyond whether AI can come up with a good itinerary.
She is strongly against AI usage, citing concerns over what she sees as a “loss of human connection”, the reliability of information produced by chatbots, and its environmental impact.
Especially concerning are the resources required to run data centres, including electricity and water.
“I cannot, in my good conscience, support the use of a tool that utilises large amounts of our limited drinkable water, strains the electricity grid, and causes serious water, air and sound pollution in the areas where the data centres are located,” she explains.
Her concerns come as the rapid growth of AI has fuelled demand for data centres, including in Malaysia. Johor has emerged as a major data-centre hub, with projects already operating and more in the pipeline.
At the same time, questions have been raised over AI’s environmental footprint, from the electricity needed to power data centres to their demand for water and other resources.
The International Energy Agency reports that global data centre electricity use grew 17% in 2025, while electricity consumption from AI-focused data centres grew even faster. It expects overall data centre electricity consumption to roughly double from 485 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025 to 950 TWh by 2030.
But the environmental cost is only part of the problem.
Lee is also wary of using AI for information because chatbots – powered by large language models (LLMs) – can produce inaccurate or fabricated answers.
“Most LLMs simply scrape their sources without regard on validity, so there is always a chance of nonsense being mixed into the information they provide,” she highlights.
It generates responses based on patterns learned from large amounts of data, but can sometimes produce information that sounds convincing without being correct.
And that becomes worrying when travellers use AI for guidance in unfamiliar or potentially dangerous situations.
Lee points to the recent case of three amateur hikers from the United States who were rescued from Mount Shasta in California. They informed authorities that they had relied heavily on AI for information about their route and what to pack.
AI can also be used to spread misinformation as it makes creating videos or photos with misleading materials so much easier.
An example of this would be last year’s case involving an elderly couple who travelled from Kuala Lumpur to Perak’s Kuak Hulu to visit what turned out to be a non-existent cable car attraction. The unsuspecting couple had learned about it from a video that they did not realise was AI-generated.
Non-existent destinations, permanently closed locations, wrong geographic coordinates – these are some of the issues that travellers will need to pay a close attention to when utilising AI.
“If I wanted information with questionable accuracy, I’d rather just make my own guesses,” is what Lee has to say regarding this.
People have been planning their holidays long before AI came along. So for her, there is really no reason to rely on it now.
She starts with a list of places she wants to visit and things she wants to do, then looks through online forums, blogs and YouTube videos to get ideas.
“I then sort out each place according to the areas they are in and work out an itinerary from there,” she says. Google Maps helps her estimate travel times and work out routes, while Google Translate is enough to help her get around language barriers.
It may take more time, but Lee enjoys being involved in the process.
“There’s a sense of accomplishment from when a trip goes smoothly after all the effort I put into coordinating with my travel partners and planning the itinerary,” she says.
“I don’t think this is possible when one outsources all the hard work to AI.”
She also enjoys something that a chatbot cannot replicate: The feeling of finding recommendations from other travellers.
“There’s also a sense of community that can be found when scouring the Internet for recommendations and reviews, especially when we find posts written by people with similar interests as us,” she says.
Lee has come across Facebook groups where travellers share their itineraries for others to review, as well as posts warning people about places that may not live up to expectations.
“I am more at ease reading reviews from the people who have actually visited a specific place and experienced it themselves,” she says, adding that to her, researching a trip is part of the experience itself.
Reshaping the industry
Misleading information may dissuade travellers from utilising AI, which is why it is important for industry players to recognise that ensuring accuracy is a shared responsibility.
Accountability rests with tech developers and travel service providers before the data even reaches travellers.
“We know trust is everything in travel, and it remains at the heart of how we approach AI innovation,” says Stephane Thong, general manager, Trip.com Malaysia.
Thong shares that the travel platform’s proprietary AI tools and features are powered by real-time travel inventory and destination content.
“We show users where the information comes from so they are empowered to make informed decisions about their itineraries and travel plans,” she assures.
By working closely with local teams, partners and communities, the platform is able to leverage their local knowledge and on-ground expertise “to help further curate recommendations and offer more trusted insight into each destination”, she adds.
Another way to foster trust between service providers and travellers, aside from ensuring accurate information, is by providing reliable customer service.
Smart automation allows AI to instantly handle routine enquiries and basic questions. “This in turn frees up our human agents to handle more complex issues and provide support to those who need it most,” Thong says.
Mondi Mecja, country general manager, Ascott Malaysia agrees that the real opportunity of AI is to empower people.
“AI is a clear benefit to the hospitality industry when it is used to enhance, rather than replace, the human elements of travel,” Mecja says.
“Hospitality has always been about people,” he adds, highlighting that AI cannot replicate “... the warmth, empathy and personal touch that turn a stay into a memorable experience.”
He mentions how the brand’s AI-powered digital concierge, Cubby, has handled close to one million guest enquiries since its launch in 2023. This has enabled its teams to dedicate more time to “meaningful guest interactions and personalised service”.
Cubby also helps connect travellers with the Ascott property that is best suited to their travel purpose and preferences.
When it comes to guaranteeing visibility as a suggested stay by AI-powered travel platforms, it is important to ensure every detail – such as property content, destination information and guest reviews – are structured, current and easily understood by AI systems, he explains.
While AI is making it easier for travellers to plan trips on their own, Johor Tourist Guides Association chairman Jimmy Leong isn’t concerned about a full pivot that can lead to the desertion of tour guides.
He notes that AI may be able to provide practical suggestions when it comes to creating itineraries, but there is still a lack of a physical host when it comes to the actual trip.
As Leong puts it: “The tourism industry is a hospitality industry, and as such the human touch and services can never be replaced by AI.”
