AI in travel and dining: what the 2026 numbers say
Updated By Akkrev
A round-up of 2026 surveys and data on how people use AI to choose hotels and restaurants, with the caveats you need to read them properly.
Restaurants
- 22% of US consumers had used an AI tool such as ChatGPT or Gemini to help choose a restaurant (DoorDash, survey of 3,001 US consumers, March 2026).
- 35% said an AI recommendation had led them to a new restaurant they then visited or ordered from (Menufy and Dynata, 1,000 US consumers, September 2026).
- 80% said they’d try an independent restaurant they didn’t know if AI recommended it (same survey).
Hotels and travel
- AI traffic to hotel websites grew almost 200% from March to August 2026, with the UK up 287% (Net Affinity and Smarthotel AI Barometer).
- 84% of US leisure travellers surveyed said a trusted AI recommendation would make them more likely to book a specific hotel (TakeUp, 300 respondents, January 2026).
How to read these
Several of these studies were commissioned by companies that sell to hotels and restaurants, and sample sizes vary. The direction is consistent, though: AI is now part of how people choose where to stay and eat, and it favours places it can describe well.