Planning is underway for what experts predict will be one of the busiest travel seasons in recent years, but tourists seem to be having a rough time making plans, according to a new report.
Southpaw Insights, on behalf of GuideGeek, shows that 63% of people have had bad experiences planning a past vacation, with 1 in 4 of those people ultimately wishing they had chosen a different vacation destination altogether.
One in three (30%) tourists, including 35% of parents, who find research and preparing for trips to be too time-consuming, see planning challenges as the largest obstacle to the ideal vacation time. As a result, 28% of respondents reported being dissatisfied with their travel-related activities and experiences, 25% said they wasted valuable vacation time looking for or planning activities, and 23% wished a destination was more suitable for all of their traveling companions.
In addition to cost, the study found that 90% of Americans are deterred from visiting foreign countries for a variety of other reasons, including worries about safety and security (40%), the inability to take time off work (26%), ignorance of the destination (22%), fear of the unknown (22%), and difficulty choosing a location (22%).
“Once consumers gain more experience with AI, they will find their travel planning and vacations will dramatically and instantly improve,” said GuideGeek creator Ross Borden. “Whether they are inquiring about a single aspect of their trip, a full itinerary, or last-second change in plans while at their destination, their travel will be customized and easy to plan, rather than random and limited to what they can find sifting through search engines.”
GuideGeek is a free service that offers travel suggestions tailored to the user’s particular requirements and interests. It’s based on ChatGPT technology from OpenAI. As customers converse with the AI, GuideGeek offers solutions for people looking for lodging, Airbnbs, dining options, safety advice, train schedules, and even essential local customs.
What are the best hiking trails in Virginia, “Please provide a 48-hour budget itinerary in Cincinnati,” “What are the best day trips from Dublin, Ireland, for someone with physical disabilities,” and “Where can I find small sake producers in Tokyo” are a few examples of traveler inquiries to GuideGeek. Currently, travelers can message GuideGeek for free anywhere in the world on WhatsApp in over 40 languages. Instagram and other messenger integrations are slated to launch in the coming days.
