Tips for utilising AI to plan travel itineraries
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots offer various types of support to facilitate activities, including planning travel itineraries.
However, AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude require specific information and detailed commands to provide better travel suggestions. The following strategies for using AI to plan holidays were compiled by The New York Times and re-broadcast by Channel News Asia on 27 September 2026.
Provide detailed information and commands
To obtain more personalised results that meet specific needs, provide detailed information regarding personal travel preferences, such as travel tastes, destinations, and any suggestions already obtained. Ethan Mollick, a professor studying AI at the University of Pennsylvania, suggests that travellers should be honest and blunt when providing information and commands to AI chatbots.
Information and commands regarding the desired itinerary, such as preferred types of hotel services, restaurants, and specific tourist attractions to visit, should be communicated clearly and specifically. In addition to travel profiles, other research findings from favourite travel information sources or advice from friends should also be shared so that the AI assistant can utilise them to recommend travel plans.
Ask the bot for assistance
AI assistants can help create more effective requests. Therefore, users can ask the bot if there is anything that can be done to make a request clearer. Users can also ask more specific follow-up questions after receiving suggestions from the AI chatbot.
Identify the limitations of bot access
AI does not have unlimited access to the internet, as not all publications allow bots to access some or all of their content. For example, ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini have full access to Reddit, but Anthropic’s Claude does not. Bots may also not always be able to see reviews on TripAdvisor or content from travel and food publications.
To determine a bot’s ability to access reliable information sources, users can mention preferred websites or publications and ask the bot if it has access. Users can also double-check information sources by asking the bot to provide the URLs used to generate those tips. Some websites that cannot be fully searched by major chatbots sometimes offer their own AI bots, including TripAdvisor and Reddit.
Verify information and facts
AI chatbots can provide inaccurate or even incorrect recommendations and information regarding events, restaurants, or hotels. Therefore, users should double-check the information and facts provided before using AI suggestions.
Create custom travel chats
Conversations with chatbots regarding travel planning should be saved so they can be utilised for future travel planning. The ‘Project’ feature in ChatGPT and Claude is very useful for maintaining the continuity of travel-related conversations, separate from other topics.
AI chatbots should be viewed as intelligent tools that are not infallible. These tools work optimally when provided with long, detailed inputs and frequent corrective feedback. Proven travel information sources can be used to enrich the bot’s knowledge, ensuring the input and suggestions provided are more accurate.