61 Pct in Japan to Use AI for Summer Travel Planning: Survey

Tokyo, July 13 (Jiji Press)–A private-sector survey has found that more than 60 pct of people in Japan are considering using generative artificial intelligence for travel planning and research this summer. According to the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. survey, 61.2 pct of respondents who have plans to make domestic or overseas trips this summer said they will use generative AI to search for information on food available in travel destinations, create travel itineraries or examine transport options. “Generative AI is taking the place of guidebooks as the main tool” for travel planning and information, the major Japanese life insurer said. Asked about summer vacation plans, 58.4 pct of all respondents said they intend to go out, down 6.3 percentage points from the previous year. Of them, 57.6 pct, up 1 point, said they will take domestic trips, while overseas travel was cited by 6.4 pct, down sharply from 13.5 pct. Concerned about the weak yen and high consumer prices, many with travel plans said they would go on short-distance trips, spend less on souvenirs or choose cheaper accommodations, the survey showed. Meanwhile, the share of respondents with no plans to go out rose 6.3 points to 41.6 pct. Households plan to spend 85,145 yen on average on leisure and other activities during the summer vacation period, down 18.8 pct, marking the first decline in five years, according to the survey. High inflation is the main reason for the planned cuts in the summer holiday budget. “The heat wave and rising prices have dampened people’s enthusiasm for going out,” said Kazutaka Maeda, an economist at Meiji Yasuda Research Institute Inc. The survey was conducted online June 9-12, covering 1,120 people in their 20s to 50s. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]