This study aims to explore key factors affecting user acceptance and utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, focusing on chatbots used for travel planning. It also aims to identify the determinants that shape user behavioral intention (BI) and use, offering insights to enhance the design and adoption of AI-driven travel assistance technologies.
The extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model is adapted in combination with AI characteristics. Data were collected from 176 respondents through an online questionnaire to explore the relationships between key variables and BI, using partial least squares structural equation modeling.
The results reveal positive correlations between performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, perceived anthropomorphism (PA), perceived intelligence (PI) and the BI to use AI as a travel planning tool. In addition to studying the direct impact, we demonstrate the relevance of examining the indirect impact of features through their mediating role. The study identifies that BI mediates the relationship between AI-specific characteristics, such as PA and PI and the actual use of AI in travel planning.
This research contributes to the understanding of user behavior in adopting AI for travel planning, highlighting critical factors that can inform AI and tourism stakeholders in designing user-centric tools to enhance travel experiences. We identify habit as a significant determinant of actual AI tool usage, emphasizing its importance for sustained long-term use of AI-powered solutions.
