GenAI in Hospitality Study 2026 - LNU - Group 13

This study seeks to explore the impacts of generative artificial intelligence, referred to as GenAI, on the customer experiences in the hospitality sector. The study specifically focuses on the planning phase of travel, which represents an essential stage of tourism consumption and decision-making (Larsen, 2007; Woodside & Dubelaar, 2002). Tourism experiences are generally understood as processes that begin before the trip through anticipation and planning, continue during travel, and extend into post-trip evaluation (Larsen, 2007; Woodside & Dubelaar, 2002). The preparatory stage involves information search and decision-making related to aspects such as the duration of stay, accommodation options, planning activities, and specific attractions to visit (Woodside & Dubelaar, 2002). These preparations may increasingly be supported by GenAI and AI enabled trip-planning platforms (Hrankai & Mak, 2025). Tourists may use GenAI, such as ChatGPT, either voluntarily or because service providers, including online travel agencies and booking platforms, integrate AI-assisted solutions into their websites or apps (Carvalho & Ivanov, 2024). Such solutions may include, but are not limited to, booking inquiries, customer support, and personalized travel recommendations. When used voluntarily, GenAI may support tourists in the pre-trip stage by facilitating inspiration, itinerary personalization, and decisions related to transportation, accommodation, local attractions, and activities (Carvalho & Ivanov, 2024). Recent research highlights that travellers see GenAI as a valuable tool for travel planning, while also reporting concerns related to information accuracy, perceived limited knowledge, and the narrowing down of travel options (Bui et al., 2025; Shin et al., 2025). Accordingly, the research question guiding this study is: “How does GenAI reshape customer experience during the planning and preparatory stage of travel?”