ABTA’s new Holiday Habits 2026-27 Report(1) finds the proportion of people using AI tools as a source for holiday inspiration continues to rise, now at 14%, up from 8% in 2025 and 4% the year before that.

Those aged 25-34 years old are leading the use of AI, with twice as many as the average using it for inspiration at 29%, up 11 percentage points in a year. 

However, the research reveals recommendations from family and friends (42%), general internet searching - without AI assistants (37%), and travel websites and guidebooks (35%) maintained their positions as the most popular sources for holiday inspiration in the past 12 months.

Getting inspiration from travel agents and tour operators is in line with the last year at 21%, and the use of holiday / destination brochures is only marginally down compared with last year at 23% (see end for full list of most popular sources for holiday inspiration). 

This shows that people are not necessarily replacing more established sources with AI when it comes to researching holidays. But advances in technology, and a willingness to embrace them, see people increasingly look to AI for inspiration.

When combining those who used AI tools with those who drew from the AI summaries of internet searches(2) it makes AI as popular as social media platforms at 24% as sources for holiday inspiration.

AI is now a more popular source of inspiration than film and TV shows (13%) and newspapers and magazines (11%), albeit AI itself may draw upon these sources to show recommendations.

People may be using AI as part of the holiday decision process, but for different things, and many people still value the expertise and reassurance of using travel agents and tour operators.

This is highlighted by an increase to 38% (from 34%), of people booking their overseas holidays though a travel professional in the past 12 months, with the reasons being ease of booking (60%), saving time (45%) and value for money (44%).

ABTA Holiday Habits 2026-27 Report is available to download here.

(1) All figures in the press release are from ABTA’s annual Holiday Habits survey, carried out each summer by The Nursery Research and Planning (www.the-nursery.net) with a nationally representative sample of 2,082 UK adults. The 2026 survey took place between 21st July and 6th August. 

(2) Combined total 24%, not 27%, by adding both AI and general internet searching with AI overview sources – as some respondents will have selected both options.