Social media has replaced recommendations from friends and families as the top source of travel inspiration, according to new research from Amadeus.
Amadeus recently conducted a global survey, including 2,000 U.S. travelers, and found that among those Americans, 34% said social media was their top source of travel inspiration. In 2024, 28% said it was their top source.
In both 2024 and this year, 33% of respondents reported recommendations of friends and family as their top source of travel inspiration, meaning social media has surpassed that source to reach the top.
Other influential sources this year included OTAs, social media ads, influencers and television. Moving up the ranks, though, is AI, with 17% of respondents identifying it as a source of travel ideas, compared to 13% last year. According to Amadeus, AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are the fastest-growing sources of travel inspiration.
According to Amadeus, travelers of all ages are using AI for travel ideas, with baby boomers' use up the most dramatically (60%) compared to last year.
But travelers don't necessarily trust AI. More than one-quarter of respondents, 27%, said they had been given inaccurate information by AI. Only one-third said it saved them time compared to more traditional trip-planning methods.
"The excitement and anticipation about the potential of AI is clear, but the results of this study show that genAI tools aren't yet ready for trip-planning prime time," Francisco Perez-Lozao Ruter, president of hospitality at Amadeus, said in a release. "The travel and hospitality industry has a lot of work to do to harness AI."