Travelling with digital guides: artificial intelligence usage tendencies of tourists

The aim of this study is to reveal the relationships between the attitudes of tourists who use artificial intelligence (AI) tools for travel planning, their satisfaction with these tools, their perceptions of the ease of use, and their intentions to re-use these tools in the future. An online questionnaire was administered to Turkish tourists who use AI tools for travel planning in accordance with the aim of the study. The survey was conducted over a two-month period (July and August) in 2024, using a convenience sampling method. After obtaining 393 usable responses, the data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling. According to the results, it was revealed that AI assistant use significantly influences tourists' attitudes, their perceived ease of use, and satisfaction toward AI tools, and these three variables positively influence the intention to reuse AI tools. Results also indicate that attitudes have a relatively weaker impact on the using AI tools recommendations in travel planning, compared to satisfaction and perceived ease of use. The research results emphasise the necessity of AI tools specific to the tourism sector and highlight the importance of keeping pace with developments in a world where technology is constantly evolving for the tourism sector.