In this article, we take a look at the best AI travel apps for vacationing in 2024.
Experiential Travel and AI
2024 has been dubbed by Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HLT) as the “Year of the Great Recharge”. According to Hilton, rest and relaxation will be the top drivers for travel decisions in 2024. This was part of the annual trends report by Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HLT), in which the company also stressed the importance of connectivity and personalization for modern tourists. The importance of personalization was also emphasized in a study conducted by Flywire Corporation (NASDAQ: FLYW) among travel providers in four countries. Flywire Corporation (NASDAQ: FLYW) reported that 89% of providers surveyed have seen increased demand for experiential travel, a branch of tourism that focuses on providing meaningful travel experiences through personalized itineraries.
“Our research into travel providers around the world shows that as we head into 2024, consumers are likely to continue to prioritize investing in unique experiences… As travelers eschew traditional ‘off the shelf’ packages, providers are offering experiences that match travelers’ expectations for immersive, personalized trips.”
-Colin Smyth, VP and GM of Travel, Flywire Corporation (NASDAQ: FLYW).
However, despite their thirst for enriching vacations, modern tourists also aren’t ecstatic about investing time and energy into planning their vacations. In fact, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG) released their 2024 travel predictions earlier this year and revealed that 52% of travelers want to book trips where the destination remains a mystery until they arrive. In times past, tourists would have to rely on travel agents to save themselves from the hassle of mapping out vacations, however, that is no longer the case.
Tourists can now utilize AI Travel Apps to help plan their vacations, thus saving both time and effort. Whether you’re looking to maraud through cobblestone streets or dive amid corals, these apps can map out your entire journey with just a few taps and swipes of your phone. Over the last few years, companies such as Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ: TCOM), Expedia Group Inc (NASDAQ: EXPE), and Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG) have all launched their versions of trip planning tools that make use of AI to provide tourists with a personalized itinerary. Consequently, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG) reports that 48% of travelers now trust AI to plan their trips while an Expedia Group Inc (NASDAQ: EXPE) survey revealed that nearly half of the respondents showed a willingness to plan trips using AI.
The Success of Trip Genie and Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ: TCOM)
The use of AI in travel isn’t just a convenience product, but an innovative feature that has the potential to revolutionize travel. For companies offering such products, AI trip planners are an extremely effective way to drive business. Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ: TCOM) launched its TripGen Chatbot in February 2023, and following its remarkable success, the company launched Trip Genie in the summer of 2023. Trip Genie is an AI assistant that helps users navigate every aspect of their journey. Data showed that users using Trip Genie used the Trip app for double the duration of users not engaging with the tool. Furthermore, AI-generated recommendations on Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ: TCOM) platforms have resulted in a 20% increase in traffic and a 10% increase in bookings for over 1,500 hotel partners.
Going forward, integrating further AI capabilities into its platforms seems to be a key part of the company’s strategy. Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ: TCOM) is currently one of the largest travel providers in the world and recently made headlines due to its impressive performance in Q1 2024. The company reported a net revenue of $1,651 million for the quarter, a 15% increase from the previous quarter. What particularly peaked interest was its earnings per share which swelled to $0.88 (diluted), over 300% from the last quarter. An increase in per-share earnings has been attributed to the resurgence of inbound travel in China along with several visa-friendly policies towards European nations that have been implemented over the last few months. Consequently, Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ: TCOM) was recently featured in our list of Best Up and Coming Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds.
While we at Insider Monkey feel optimistic about Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ: TCOM) stock and its ability to continue delivering returns, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than Trip.com Group Limited (NASDAQ: TCOM) but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
15 Best AI Travel Apps for Vacationing in 2024
Methodology
To develop our list of best AI travel apps for vacationing in 2024, we initially picked out the most recommended best AI travel planners on the internet. We used 5+ sources including The Travel and Tech Online to develop a shortlist. Further research was narrowed down to these platforms only. Among these best AI travel apps for vacationing in 2024, we developed a scorecard using metrics such as pricing, variety of features, and level of personalization. We also utilized online feedback on Reddit, TripAdvisor, and Quora in our scoring. By standardizing these metrics on a linear scale, each app was scored, based on which we sorted our list in descending order. The top 15 items were chosen as the best AI travel apps for vacationing in 2024. Although items at positions 15, 12, 10, 7, 6, 3, and 2 do not have downloadable mobile applications, they all can be accessed via any smartphone browser. Since certain users prefer the convenience of an online tool over the hassle of downloading a separate application, we have included these tools in our list.
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Here are the Best AI Travel Apps for Vacationing in 2024.
15. Vacay International
Insider Monkey Score: 1.00
Price: Monthly $9.99 for premium features
Vacay is one of the best AI Travel Apps in 2024 for frequent travelers who are willing to spend a few bucks to get the most out of their trips. Vacay offers thematic recommendations, meaning users can opt for genres such as luxury, wellness, sustainable, or dog friendly. The planner then combines these preferences with your personal information to create detailed itineraries including destinations, flights, hotels, and even activities. Vacay does not have its own app but can be accessed via any smartphone browser.
14. Wanderlog
Insider Monkey Score: 1.25
Price: Premium for $49.99 per year
Wanderlog does offer a free version, however, its AI assistance features are mostly available for those who upgrade to Wanderlog Pro. With this version, users can obtain personalized itineraries for their trips. The best part about Wanderlog is that its mobile application is integrated with other third-party apps such as Gmail and Google Maps. This allows the app to import and export data from your phone, which it uses to optimize travel routes and factor in your flight & accommodation details whilst offering recommendations. Furthermore, you can create group itineraries, and these can be accessed offline.
13. Going
Insider Monkey Score: 1.50
Price: Premium for $4.08 per month
Although this tool cannot be used to map out itineraries, it is one of the best travel apps for vacationers who want the best flight deals. Going, formerly known as Scott’s Cheap Flights, takes into account your travel preferences and alerts you to the availability of the cheapest flights. Although it offers a free version, the best deals are exclusive to its premium option that alerts you to mistake fare deals & flier mile deals and does so for both domestic & international flights.
12. Skoot
Insider Monkey Score: 1.75
Price: Free
Skoot is a family-friendly travel planner that offers customizable itineraries. It covers a myriad of destinations and recommends activities personalized to your household preferences. On top of this, it is entirely free and does not require you to download any application as the planner can be accessed online.
11. Sygic GPS Truck & Caravan Navigation
Insider Monkey Score: 2.00
Price: €54.99
Sygic is one of the best AI travel apps for vacationing in 2024 for in-trip navigation. It offers offline maps, real-time traffic updates, and turn-by-turn guidance. It is particularly handy for caravans and camper vans for whom it offers personalized routes suited to their requirements.
10. RoutePerfect
Insider Monkey Score: 2.25
Price: Free
RoutePerfect is an intuitive tool with the power to create personalized itineraries with hotel and flight recommendations. One of the ways it enriches your vacation is by recommending sites and activities that lie on your route. Although it can be used for any type of vacation, it is particularly popular for road trips.
9. TripIt
Insider Monkey Score: 2.50
Price: Premium for $49 per year
If you’re wondering is TripIt or Wanderlog better, our scores say it is the former. Although both the premium versions of both these AI Travel Apps are priced at $49 per year, users can get much more out of TripIt’s free version than from Wanderlog. Apart from common features such as personalized itineraries, TripIt offers information on the carbon footprint of your vacation and neighborhood safety scores, thus providing insights into the sustainability and safety of your vacation.
8. Hopper
Insider Monkey Score: 2.75
Price: Free
Similar to Going, Hopper alerts users to the cheapest deals, even predicting whether these prices are expected to rise or drop. The feature that helps Hopper stand out as one of the best AI travel apps for vacationing in 2024 is that it offers insights on not only flights, but also hotels, car rentals, and other accommodations. In addition, the application is free to use, making it one of the best free travel apps.
7. Explorerg
Insider Monkey Score: 3.00
Price: Free
Explorerg is one of the most powerful AI tools for international travelers. It provides detailed, budget-specific itineraries. The information can be translated into the language of your choosing and prices can be converted to your preferred currency as well. The personalized itinerary consists of both hotel and flight recommendations and is linked to third-party websites where you can book these deals.
6. Curiosio
Insider Monkey Score: 3.25
Price: Free
Curiosio is one of the best AI travel apps for vacationing in 2024, especially for US-based road trips. It has a vast database of sites and locations that helps it enrich your vacations with detours and underrated excursions. Unfortunately, the tool is only available for limited countries and does not make recommendations on hotels and restaurants, meaning it isn’t as comprehensive as other tools in our list.
5. Booking.com
Insider Monkey Score: 3.50
Price: Free (Booking.com only charges fees for deals booked through its platform)
Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG) launched its AI chatbot in 2023 which is built into its existing mobile application. To make sure these recommendations fit their requirements, users can verify them by scoping out the reviews and deals in the same app. Since the chatbot is integrated with the app, rather than having to navigate to other websites or apps, users can make bookings based on the chatbot’s recommendations with a few taps.
