Users’ Perceptions Toward Applying Generative AI for Tour Itinerary Planning

Against the backdrop of tourism gradually becoming an indispensable part of people's lives, this study delves into the itinerary planning aspects of generative AI (GAI) tools, which rose to prominence since late 2022. This research work takes a qualitative approach; uses critical incident technique (CIT) as the research method for investigating users’ perceptions toward applying generative AI tools for their itinerary planning tasks. The study reveals that the overall user perceptions are influenced by eight dimensions of generative AI applications: rationality, comprehensiveness, flexibility, personalization, precision, accuracy, timeliness, and efficiency. The research findings provide valuable advisory guidelines for those who try to optimize the user experience of GAI-enabled tour itinerary planning tools.