A new survey of travellers across Singapore, Japan, Australia, and India reveals a mixed level of trust in artificial intelligence, with predictability and price clarity ranking as top priorities. The research, from data and analytics company Qlik and market research firm YouGov, highlights a key tension: while travellers in these markets embrace tools that help them save money and plan more effectively, they are resistant to automation that takes away their control or involves intrusive data sharing.
The study found that only 11 per cent of residents across the surveyed markets trust AI more than people, and one in four travellers who want personalisation are unwilling to share the data required to enable it. For businesses adopting AI, particularly in the travel sector, the findings suggest that a one-size-fits-all approach is likely to fail. Instead, companies must build modular offerings that align with each country’s unique balance of trust, privacy, and control.
Diverging attitudes to AI and data sharing across Asia
The report highlights significant differences in traveller attitudes across the four Asia-Pacific markets surveyed. Singapore and India represent opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of their needs and openness to AI.
Travellers in Singapore desire robust planning tools but are resistant to automated processes that remove their control. Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of Singaporean respondents reject the idea of auto-rebooking, where a travel platform or airline changes a reservation without requiring user confirmation.
In contrast, India shows the highest level of openness to sharing planning data and the most optimism about AI, with one in five respondents stating that AI is more trustworthy than people. However, even in this market, travellers still prefer a human recommendation at the final decision point, indicating a hybrid trust model where AI assists but does not replace human judgment.
Japan was identified as the most privacy-conscious market. The gap between the desire for personalised features and the willingness to share data is wider in Japan than in any of the other surveyed countries, with only 31 per cent of respondents willing to share their data. Australia presented a more pragmatic stance; while price-driven travellers in the country are willing to share search data, they remain sceptical about AI-suggested destinations and are cautious about automated features like rebooking.
“APAC travelers just gave every C-suite the AI playbook: reward people with prediction and savings, and never remove their agency,” said Mike Capone, chief executive officer of Qlik. “Travellers will share searches and budgets when the benefit is clear, but they shy away from anything that edits plans without consent. Trust only comes when systems are explainable, auditable and tied directly to measurable value. Companies that respect trust and choice will earn loyalty at scale.”
A playbook for building trust in AI
The report suggests that businesses can win trust by proving the utility of their AI tools before asking for data. It recommends leading with prediction and budgeting features that offer clear savings to the user, and then layering in permissions for more advanced features.
The study also advises that consent should be designed as a “first-class experience,” where users are notified of any proposed changes, asked for confirmation before execution, and offered a simple way to undo any automated actions. Finally, it stresses the importance of explainability, with every AI-driven recommendation presented in plain language that outlines the key inputs and the confidence level behind the suggestion.
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