by Kevin Gomez, Senior Consultant
For years, consumers have relied on their friends and family, online search engines, social media, advertising, and venue websites to help them decide which activity or attraction to pursue. Although these sources are still important, consumers are quickly shifting to AI as their new way of sourcing information about leisure activities.
Integrated Insight's 2026 Leisure Experiences Consumer Survey shows a clear shift in how consumers research and plan their leisure activities. 60% of leisure consumers use AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok, or Perplexity to help plan leisure activities. About a third use it most of the time.
Additionally, 1 in 5 say they use AI to gather information about potential leisure activities —13 points higher than last year. AI information-gathering in the discovery phase is still the lowest-cited source, but recommendations from family, friends, and colleagues decreased by seven points.
AI is becoming the new “trusted friend.”
The AI Shift Is Likely Larger Than It Appears
While 60% use AI to some extent in planning their leisure activities, AI's influence on leisure decisions is likely even greater.
Online search remains one of the most commonly used sources of information for leisure, cited by half of all consumers. Yet, the line between 'search' and 'AI' is becoming unclear. Currently, the big search engines include AI-generated summaries, recommendations, conversational replies, and other AI-driven features as part of the search experience.
A person could enter a traditional search engine with a prompt such as "things to do with kids this weekend" or "best attractions near me" and then receive an AI-generated response, even if they had never deliberately chosen to use an AI assistant.
From the consumer's point of view, they carried out an online search; in fact, it was the AI that decided which attractions would be included in their consideration set.
The increase in AI is greater than the growth in the direct use of tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok, or Perplexity indicates. AI is not just becoming another source of information—it is becoming the middleman among existing channels.
From Information Source to Decision Assistant
People who use AI ask it to perform various tasks throughout the decision-making process, such as learning from experience, comparing options, estimating costs, understanding logistics, checking wait times, reviewing customer feedback, and prioritizing options based on their preferences.
This tendency is especially noticeable in the case of more complex experiences. Of consumers who had recently visited an attraction, destination, or event, 58% who used AI to help with the decision-making process did so for a longer-duration attraction. Only 34% of AI users used it for a shorter event. This is completely reasonable because the higher the cost, the time involved, and the complexity of an experience, the more valuable a tool becomes for combining large amounts of information and simplifying the decision-making process.
In one conversation, AI serves as a personalized travel planner that seems to look out for the user’s best interests.
Implications for Leisure Operators
This means that for attractions and other leisure businesses, there is now a new marketing challenge.
In the past, digital strategy has largely focused on search visibility, like aiming for a high ranking on Google, to get consumers to a website and convert that traffic into sales. Although this strategy is still important, business leaders now need to ask themselves:
What Does AI Say About Our Experience?
If people ask an AI assistant for advice on where to go, the struggle for the assistant's attention begins before they even reach the venue's website. The AI can compare the options, summarize reviews, highlight differentiating features, assess perceived value, and then suggest only a small number of choices.
Operators should start thinking not just in terms of traditional SEO but also in terms of AI visibility and being recommendable. The need for accurate, easily accessible information on pricing, products, operating hours, amenities, differentiators, reviews, and the overall guest experience is all the more important. Likewise, it is necessary to understand how the major AI platforms assess the brand relative to its competitors.
By no means should we give up conventional marketing channels, but we should recognize that the traditional consumer journey of “search to website to purchase” is changing, and operators need to adapt to survive.
Read More Insights
What Entertainment & Hospitality Marketers Need to Know About Planning & Purchasing Behavior from Latest Consumer Data
Understanding how consumers discover, consider, and purchase leisure experiences can help marketers reach the right audiences with the right message at the right time.
Pricing Optimization for Today’s Leisure Consumer
New consumer survey data from Integrated Insight’s 2026 Leisure Experiences Consumer Report informs pricing optimization strategies to drive growth.
Where Is Participation Declining In The Leisure Experience Economy, And Where Do We Go From Here?
How are location-based entertainment consumers feeling about their finances, and how is it impacting their participation in the leisure economy?
Contact Us for a Consulation
Integrated Insight is a leading analytics consulting firm, harnessing the power of data to help businesses of all sizes reach their full potential, backed by a team of industry veterans and experienced consultants with diverse expertise. Industries we serve include location-based entertainment, hospitality, travel/tourism, sports, health and education, government and associations, transportation, and more. For more information about our services or to get in touch with one of our consultants directly, please contact us.
