Authenticity in the Age of Generative AI: Reimagining Host-Guest Relations in Travel Planning

Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) is transforming how travelers plan trips, yet research has not fully examined dynamic interactions between travelers and generative AI or the co-creation of authenticity through these interactions. This exploratory qualitative study employs a retrospective think-aloud method to explore how travelers engage with generative AI. Grounded in the lenses of host-guest relations and authenticity, this study conceptualizes travel planning as a co-performance between the digital guest (the traveler) and the digital host (generative AI). Findings identify six AI roles (mentor, pathfinder, partner, acquaintance, butler, and implementer) shaped by power dynamics and encounter depth, and four authenticity pathways (co-creation, co-recovery, co-reduction, and co-destruction) across five pre-travel experience stages: triggering inspiration, shaping vision, gathering details, evaluating information, and making decisions. The study advances a relational and performative framework for understanding human-AI collaboration in tourism and offers practical insights for enhancing AI-assisted destination marketing and traveler experiences.