Level up your travel plans with an AI booster-pack
Once considered a futuristic luxury, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are now becoming essential travel tools — especially when powered by artificial intelligence. Whether you're walking through ancient ruins via your smartphone or planning a solo trip with step-by-step AI guidance, travel has become less about logistics and more about immersion. As Aakarsh Gupta, executive producer at Nas Daily notes, 'It can personalise the experience for each viewer. AI can adjust the visuals or voiceover based on your language or even your mood.' But there is more to it than meets the eye.
From passive viewing to immersive guidance
How great would it be if you could navigate through unfamiliar streets while learning more about the location, its cultural history and significance, and getting suggestions based on your dietary preferences? Now that's an upgrade that AI, combined with AR, can bring you. As Aditya Sanghi, CEO & co-Founder, Hotelogix, says, 'The most exciting potential of AI-AR lies in its capacity for inclusivity. By incorporating features like voice-activated controls, multilingual support, haptic feedback, and customisable visual interfaces, these tools can become invaluable allies for travellers with disabilities. Picture a visually-impaired guest receiving audio prompts for spatial orientation or wheelchair users accessing real-time previews of accessible routes.'
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How AI makes AR/VR smarter?
It is the small yet noticeable things that make a big difference. When peoples' dependency on AI is increasing by the minute, it is only natural for them to expect convenience. To cater to this growing need, apps like Tripnotes.ai and GuideGeek now use generative AI to build custom-curated itineraries based on a traveller's past preferences, browsing history, and even their mood — offering suggestions for flights, boutique hotels, hidden gems, and dining experiences. AI-powered AR and VR don't just offer guided tours — they can also recreate historic events, letting travellers 'step into' the past. Furthermore, for content creators, platforms like Tripp and The Wild are already enabling immersive,
interactive travel storytelling
— where the user explores a place at their own pace, with AI-based narration on interest areas.
Talking about how this technology can be used in creating interactive
travel vlogs
, Gupta shares, 'Imagine doing a travel vlog, but with the option of choosing where to go, or what angle of the story they want to follow. AR could let you point your phone at a map and unlock videos from different parts of the world. VR could drop you on a deserted island or on a boat in Antarctica. It's about feeling the stories, not just watching them.'
'Our travel trends data for 2025 reveals that 87% of Indian travellers are likely to use AI tools (such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini etc.) to plan their trips in 2025. In fact, more than half (54%) would use it for travel safety tips, while 48% would use it for restaurant recommendations, followed by selecting destinations, finding accommodations and activity suggestions (44% each)
- Santosh Kumar, Country Manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at a travel portal
'From creating a detailed itinerary, to guiding with the visa and immigration process, everything was made easy by AI for me. Plus, using Google Earth VR elevated my experience by giving me 360° previews of iconic sites, such as Sultan Qaboos Mosque, and activities like snorkeling
- Pallabi Dey Purkayastha, a freelance writer who recently returned from her solo trip to Muscat-Oman
Tech-based travel
90% of Indians are willing to use technology for informed decisions and authentic experiences
83% to find less crowded areas
40% for real-time assistance
(According to Santosh Kumar, Country Manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at Booking.com)
VR travel at a glance
Market Value (2023): $8.9 billion
Projected Growth: CAGR of 21%
Estimated Value by 2033: $59.9 billion
(Data shared by Hotelogix)
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