More than half of surveyed Asian travellers now turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to help organise their journeys, yet the vast majority remain cautious about handing autonomy to automated booking systems. According to Agoda’s 2027 Asia Travel Pulse, 53% of respondents rely on AI for travel planning, rising from 33% the previous year, whereas just 6% would trust an AI agent to complete a hotel booking without conditions.
Conducted across 11 Asian markets in September and October 2026, the survey of 3,395 travellers highlights expanding adoption for researching destinations, building itineraries and comparing travel options. Even as digital tools streamline pre-trip preparations, most surveyed travellers still prefer to book hotels themselves rather than delegate the process to an AI agent.
AI travel planning grows fastest in Vietnam and Taiwan
Vietnam and Taiwan registered the sharpest growth in AI travel planning across the region. Usage in Vietnam more than doubled from 30% to 63%, while Taiwan recorded an identical adoption level of 63%, rising from 35% a year earlier. Taiwan also leads the region alongside South Korea in deploying AI specifically for itinerary planning, with adoption rates reaching 75% and 73% respectively.
Among the AI travel uses reported by Agoda, itinerary creation emerged as the most common application, accounting for 64% of responses. Travellers also frequently employ these tools earlier in the planning journey, with 45% turning to AI for travel inspiration and 44% using it to compare hotels or flights. By contrast, only 7% indicated that they would rely on AI to make a booking.
These patterns reflect a broad regional view of how travellers engage with AI at different stages of planning. In total, the survey examined 11 regional markets, encompassing Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Travellers place conditions on AI hotel bookings
The Asian Traveler in 2027
Confident, connected and discerning
Asian travelers are looking beyond their borders in 2027, planning with AI, chasing food and culture, and making every booking count.
of Asian travelers already use AI to plan their travels
expect to travel mostly internationally in 2027, the most common plan
travel for culinary experiences, and as many travel for cultural exploration
say social media influences their travel choices
would still rather book a hotel themselves than hand it to an AI agent
say lower travel costs would most enable them to travel more
Across the surveyed markets, 38% of respondents expressed willingness to allow an AI agent to book a hotel on their behalf in some form, though most within this group would impose conditions. Overall, 32% of all respondents would permit AI bookings under certain conditions. Nearly a quarter, or 23%, would allow a reservation only after reviewing it themselves, while 9% would restrict automated reservations to simple or low-cost bookings. A further 6% would trust an AI agent to book a hotel without conditions.
South Korea and Vietnam emerged as the most receptive markets, with more than six in ten respondents in each willing to allow an AI agent to make a hotel reservation under some circumstances. In South Korea, 39% would accept an AI booking subject to their final review, compared with the regional average of 23%. Vietnam recorded the highest level of unconditional trust, with 19% willing to let an AI agent book independently, a figure more than three times the regional benchmark of 6%.
Real reviews and clear information sources influence trust
When evaluating what would make them more comfortable using AI travel assistants, respondents identified independent validation and transparency as key priorities. Genuine reviews from other travellers ranked first, selected by 25% of respondents, followed closely by transparency about information sources at 24%. Access to human support was another significant consideration, with 18% prioritising the ability to contact a real person for help, while 15% wanted AI assistants to explain why they recommended particular travel options.
Preferences shift substantially across individual markets. South Korean respondents placed the greatest emphasis on genuine traveller reviews at 33%, whereas information transparency ranked highest in Thailand and Japan, where it was selected by 30% and 29% respectively. Human assistance was the leading consideration in the Philippines and Hong Kong SAR, cited by 27% and 25% of respondents, reflecting the varied priorities travellers across these markets assign to independent reviews, information transparency and access to support when assessing AI travel services.
Idan Zalzberg, Chief Technology Officer at Agoda, said, “Research that used to take travellers hours can now be done in a single conversation with an AI assistant. When it comes to the booking itself, many travellers still want to make the final decision on their own terms. The findings give the industry a clear view of what helps travellers feel more confident using AI, including real reviews, clear sources and access to a person when they need one. At Agoda, we will continue to help travellers plan and book with confidence.”
Agoda is developing AI tools with these preferences in mind. Its AI-powered multimodal content system matches hotel photographs with guest reviews that describe them, helping travellers assess accommodation using the experiences of previous guests. According to the company, the system covers more than 700 million images across over 40 languages.
The company has also recently launched an AI Assistant within its mobile application. Travellers can use the conversational feature to plan and manage trips, including receiving hotel recommendations with real-time pricing and availability.
International travel, food and culture shape 2027 plans
Agoda’s accompanying Asia travel factsheet identifies several priorities influencing travel decisions for 2027, based on the combined responses across all 11 surveyed markets. Cross-border journeys feature prominently, with international travel emerging as the most common plan as 38% of surveyed travellers expect to travel predominantly outside their home markets. Food and cultural experiences also represent major motivations, with 54% travelling for culinary experiences and an equal proportion setting out for cultural exploration.
Practical considerations and digital channels play a similarly substantial role in shaping these journeys. Social media influences travel decisions for 41% of respondents, while cost remains another decisive consideration, with 45% selecting lower travel costs as the factor that would most enable them to travel more.
