Travel has always been shaped by aspiration. But the way people turn that aspiration into a real trip is changing quickly. Travellers now move between search engines, booking platforms, reviews, social media, recommendations and emerging AI tools, often within the same decision journey. At the same time, they are looking for holidays that feel more personal, flexible and appropriate to their circumstances. 

For the travel and tourism sector, the opportunity is not simply to appear in more channels. It is to understand which sources matter at different moments, where consumers need inspiration, and where they need confidence before committing. New RED C research on domestic holiday planning shows that influence is highly dependent on the decision being made. There is no single route to booking, and no single channel owns the traveller. 

Travel planning is not one journey 

When Irish consumers choose accommodation for a holiday in Ireland, booking websites are the single most influential source. Among those for whom accommodation booking is relevant, one-third choose platforms such as Booking.com, ahead of Google search and online reviews, both at 20%. Recommendations from family and friends follow at 16%. 

The picture changes completely when people decide where to eat. For restaurants, recommendations from family and friends lead at 37%, while Google search and online reviews each influence around one in five. For outdoor activities and visitor attractions, Google becomes more important, influencing 28% and 31% respectively among relevant consumers. 

This matters because tourism businesses frequently talk about “the customer journey” as if it were a single, orderly funnel. In reality, travellers assemble a holiday through a series of smaller decisions. Accommodation is often a structured, comparison-led purchase. Restaurants are more social and recommendation led. Attractions and activities are more likely to be discovered through active search. Each requires a different visibility and trust strategy. 

Discovery is fragmented, but trust still does the heavy lifting 

Across the different elements of a domestic holiday, familiar digital tools remain central. Looking across all the categories tested, Google search influences around half of those making at least one relevant decision, while booking websites and online reviews each influence close to four in ten. Yet recommendations from family and friends are at least as powerful overall, influencing 52%. 

The implication is that digital reach alone is not enough. Consumers may find a business online, but they still look for evidence that the choice will deliver. Reviews, photos, clear information and recommendations help close the gap between visibility and confidence. Tourism providers therefore need to think beyond ranking highly in search results. They must also give customers something credible and distinctive to recommend. 

That can be as practical as making the experience easy to describe, setting expectations clearly, responding well when something goes wrong, and encouraging satisfied visitors to leave useful reviews. Word of mouth is not separate from digital marketing anymore. It is amplified by it. 

AI is emerging, but it has not replaced established behaviour 

The growth of generative AI has encouraged predictions that holiday planning will move rapidly away from traditional search. The current evidence suggests a more gradual transition. One in ten consumers use AI tools such as ChatGPT or Claude across at least one of the domestic holiday decisions tested. Usage rises to 16% among 18 to 34 year olds, but remains well behind search, recommendations, booking platforms and reviews. 

This does not make AI unimportant. It means its role is currently more likely to sit at the beginning of the journey, helping travellers generate ideas, compare broad options or build an itinerary. The final choice still tends to rely on trusted, established sources. For destinations and tourism businesses, the immediate challenge is therefore twofold: remain visible in conventional search and booking environments, while also ensuring that information is clear, consistent and structured enough to be surfaced accurately by AI tools. 

The future traveller wants personal fit, not just more choice 

The changes in booking behaviour sit within a broader transformation of travel. Travellers are increasingly willing to look beyond the traditional peak-season, high-footfall holiday. They are considering cooler periods, quieter destinations and experiences that feel better matched to their interests and needs. This creates a valuable opportunity for the Irish tourism sector, particularly as destinations seek to extend the season and distribute demand more evenly. 

Personalisation, however, must become more tangible than a generic claim that there is “something for everyone”. A younger solo traveller, a family with small children and an older couple may all be looking at the same destination, but they need different reassurance, information and proof. Useful personalisation means showing how the experience works for the person considering it: the pace, accessibility, transport, flexibility, safety, cost and level of support available. 

Digital convenience and human reassurance are not opposites 

Through my research in this industry, one of the clearest lessons I’ve learned is that travellers aren’t choosing between digital and human support. They want to self-serve where the decision is simple and access expertise when the stakes rise. They may be comfortable researching destinations, comparing accommodation and reading reviews online, but value human judgement when an itinerary becomes complex, expensive or vulnerable to disruption. 

This is where travel agents, tourism operators and expert providers retain a distinctive advantage. Price is important, but it is easy for competitors to replicate. Protection, support, administration and judgement are harder to copy. The strongest proposition combines value with reassurance: help travellers make a good choice, protect their money, reduce complexity and support them if plans change. 

The same principle applies throughout tourism. A smooth booking engine is valuable, but so is a clear cancellation policy. Automated communications are efficient, but customers also need to know that a real person can help if something goes wrong. Convenience gets the traveller moving, but it’s confidence that gets the booking over the line. 

What the sector should do now 

First, match the channel strategy to the decision. Accommodation providers need strong booking-platform visibility and review management. Restaurants should make advocacy and local recommendation easier. Attractions and activity providers must prioritise searchable, practical information that answers the questions people ask while planning. 

Second, design content for both people and machines. Accurate descriptions, clear location details, opening times, accessibility information, pricing and structured FAQs improve the customer experience today and increase the chance of being represented correctly in AI-supported planning tomorrow. 

Third, make personalisation visible. Do not simply say an experience is suitable for different travellers. Show what makes it suitable, using tailored itineraries, seasonal alternatives and practical guidance for families, solo travellers, older visitors and people with accessibility needs. 

Finally, sell reassurance as part of the experience. In a market full of choice, travellers value brands that reduce uncertainty. Organisations will win not through offering the widest choice, but through helping people choose well and feel confident about the journey ahead. 

Understanding behaviour is what we do 

The Travel and Tourism team at RED C helps clients understand how traveller expectations, decision journeys and sources of influence are changing. We combine robust research with commercial interpretation, helping destinations, airports, airlines, travel agents and tourism businesses identify the moments that shape choice and turn insight into practical action. 

If you are responsible for growing a travel or tourism brand and want your strategy grounded in real traveller behaviour, we would love to hear from you. 

Get in touch

Ireland: [email protected]

UK: [email protected]

Methodological note 

The booking-source findings are based on an online survey conducted between 16 and 21 October 2026 among a nationally representative sample of 1,042 adults living in the Republic of Ireland. Data was weighted to be representative of the adult population. Category-level percentages quoted in the article exclude respondents who said the activity was not relevant to them or that they did not know. The broader themes draw on RED C research prepared for the Irish Travel Agents Association Annual Conference 2026.