When AI takes the wheel: The effectiveness of AI versus human-generated content in tourism marketing

With the increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content (AIGC) in tourism marketing, this research explores the effectiveness of AIGC and its underlying mechanisms. Through a multimethod approach that includes a preliminary study analyzing online reviews of travel influencers’ posts, followed by three experimental studies, we find that when potential tourists are informed that the content of a travel destination is generated by AI (vs. human), their travel intentions decrease. Grounded in the human uniqueness theory, the underlying mechanism is that AIGC disclosure reduces tourists’ perceived originality of the content, which in turn lowers the likelihood of savoring the upcoming tourism experience. In addition, AI algorithm adaptivity serves as a boundary condition. When participants are informed that AI has a high-adaptivity (vs. low-adaptivity) algorithm, the adverse effects of AIGC can be mitigated. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of AIGC's impact on tourists’ behavior and offer managerial insights for influencers, technology managers, and industry leaders in the tourism domain.