Generative AI-powered chat interfaces are changing how consumers act online. They’re becoming a helpful assistant for compiling research before making a purchase online for instance, which Adobe recently profiled. They are also making an impact when it comes to trip planning. Adobe issued new data today profiling the trend, which shows a significant surge to U.S. travel websites from generative AI sources.

The Adobe Analytics insights are based on direct transactions online, showing the impact of generative AI on the digital economy. The travel insights are based on analysis of more than 8 million visits to U.S. travel sites. A companion survey of more than 5,000 U.S. respondents provides an additional layer of context on how consumers are thinking about AI in their daily lives.

Generative AI embraced as a trip planning tool.

Trip planning can often be a highly involved process, requiring consumers to balance researching activities, comparing prices, and managing trip details. Generative AI has emerged as a useful tool in this process, helping consumers streamline these tasks with greater ease and efficiency.

New data from Adobe shows that generative AI traffic to U.S. travel sites has grown substantially in recent months, rising 3,500% year-over-year (YoY) in July 2025. In Adobe’s survey of 5,000 U.S. consumers, nearly one-third of consumers (29%) have used AI services to plan trips.

The most popular use cases of AI include research, with the survey showing that 53% (of those who have used AI for trip planning), relying on it to find local attractions, restaurants, hidden gems, and the best times to visit. Other top uses include travel inspiration (47%), transportation planning (45%), and getting local food recommendations (39%). AI is also helping travelers manage budgets (33%) and create detailed itineraries (37%), making it a versatile companion for both leisure and business trips.

AI-driven traffic shows higher engagement.

Adobe is also sharing new data on what happens when consumers land on a travel site, after interacting with a generative AI-powered chat service or browser. The data is compared to non-AI traffic sources (including paid search, affiliates & partners, email, organic search, and social media), to profile the shift in consumer behaviors.

Consumers who arrive from generative AI sources are 15% more engaged compared to non-AI sources. This means they are exploring more content on the travel site, with 36% longer visits (and 7% more pages per visit). They are also less likely to leave immediately, with a 44% lower bounce rate. This indicates that with AI tools, consumers are becoming more informed and focusing on the most relevant services during the research and consideration phase.

Per Adobe’s survey: Of those who have used AI for trip planning, 88% of respondents note it improved their booking and travel experiences. Millennials and Gen X are particularly enthusiastic, with 89% and 91%, respectively, saying AI has enhanced their travel planning.

AI-driven conversion lags, but the gap is narrowing.

Conversion (visits that become purchases) trails behind non-AI traffic sources. However, that gap has been narrowing; In July 2025, traffic from generative AI sources was 47% less likely to convert, down from 86% in October 2024. The conversion gap reinforces that AI is being utilized more during the research and consideration stage, in advance of when consumers are ready to hit the purchase button. But the improvement in recent months shows that consumers are increasingly comfortable completing a transaction directly after an AI-powered chat or browser experience.

 

With consumers embracing conversational interfaces to handle daily tasks like trip planning, businesses are having to rethink how they engage their different audiences. This is especially trust with the arrival of AI agents that will be able to handle more complex tasks and make highly tailored recommendations.

Vivek Pandya is the Director of Adobe Digital Insights (ADI), which publishes research on digital marketing and other topics of interest to senior marketing and e-commerce executives across industries.

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