AI-powered travel planning: exploring anthropomorphism, innovativeness and privacy concerns

Purpose This study investigates how AI anthropomorphism, consumer innovativeness and data privacy concerns influence user attitudes and behavioral intentions toward AI-powered travel planning tools, framed within the theory of planned behavior (TPB). It positions AI anthropomorphism as a positive subjective norm, data privacy concerns as a negative subjective norm and consumer innovativeness as a proxy for perceived behavioral control. Design/methodology/approach A structured survey was administered to 476 users of AI-powered large language models (LLMs) for travel-related tasks. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the direct and mediating relationships among the constructs. Findings AI anthropomorphism significantly enhances consumer innovativeness, indirectly promoting favorable attitudes and adoption intentions. However, it does not directly influence attitudes or intentions without the mediating effects of innovativeness and attitudes. Data privacy concerns negatively affect user attitudes but do not directly impede behavioral intentions, operating indirectly through cognitive evaluations. Practical implications Theoretically, this study refines TPB by showing that AI-related social cues and risk factors operate through indirect pathways. Practically, the findings inform the design of AI travel tools, suggesting features like adaptive AI personas, explainable suggestions and co-creative itinerary tools to engage innovative users and address privacy concerns. Originality/value This study extends TPB by integrating AI-specific constructs and psychological factors in tourism AI research. It offers a theory-driven and psychologically grounded model of AI adoption in tourism.