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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.

Key points

  • 45% of US consumers used AI for a local business recommendation in the past year, up from 6% (BrightLocal, 2026).
  • 31% had used ChatGPT and 23% Google's AI Mode for a business recommendation.
  • 22% of US consumers had used AI to help choose a restaurant (DoorDash, 2026).
  • AI traffic to hotel websites grew almost 200% from March to August 2026, and 287% in the UK.
  • Most AI users still check reviews before deciding. AI makes the shortlist, reviews close the deal.

AI is now a normal part of how people choose where to eat and stay. The clearest figure comes from BrightLocal’s 2026 survey of 1,002 US adults: 45% had used an AI tool to get a local business recommendation in the past year, up from 6% the year before. This page rounds up the most useful 2026 numbers for hotels, restaurants and cafés, with notes on how to read them.

Local businesses in general

  • 45% of US consumers used AI for a local business recommendation in the past year, up from 6% (BrightLocal, 1,002 US adults, 2026).
  • 31% had used ChatGPT and 23% Google’s AI Mode for a business recommendation.
  • AI is now the third most used source for local recommendations, behind Google and Facebook, and ahead of Yelp and TripAdvisor.
  • 97% of those AI users at least sometimes check the answer against real reviews.

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.

What to do with these numbers

If you are wondering whether this affects your venue, read should hotels and restaurants worry about AI search. For what actually gets a place named, see what the research says.

Questions

Are people using ChatGPT to find restaurants?

Yes. DoorDash found 22% of US consumers had used an AI tool such as ChatGPT or Gemini to help choose a restaurant, and BrightLocal found 31% had used ChatGPT for a local business recommendation in the past year.

Do people ask ChatGPT for hotel recommendations?

Increasingly. AI-driven traffic to hotel websites grew almost 200% between March and August 2026 according to Net Affinity and Smarthotel, and 287% in the UK.

Do diners use ChatGPT instead of Yelp?

More often alongside it. BrightLocal found AI is now used for local recommendations more than Yelp or TripAdvisor, but 97% of AI users at least sometimes check reviews before deciding.

Should restaurants worry about AI search in 2026?

Enough to check what AI says about them. AI names only a few places per question, so restaurants that are left out lose diners without seeing it in their analytics.

Sources

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