Why Travelers Resist AI: Algorithm Aversion and Psychological Barriers in Information Seeking

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in tourism has transformed travelers’ information-seeking behaviors, offering efficient and personalized support for tasks such as itinerary planning. However, algorithm aversion (AA), the tendency to distrust AI systems due to perceived errorsor a lack of human-like judgment, poses a significant barrier to adoption. This study investigates howpsychological and behavioral factors influence AA in travelers’ use of AI chatbots, utilizing Technology Readiness Theory (TRT) to create a novel framework integrating Perceived AI Autonomy(PAA), Advisory Algorithm Preference (AAP), Human Agent Preference (HAP), and TRT dimensions (optimism, innovativeness, discomfort, insecurity). Using Partial Least Squares StructuralEquation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze data from 298 travelers, the results reveal that PAA andDC significantly increase AA, while optimism (OPT) reduces it. However, HAP and innovativeness(INN) show no significant effects on AA. In addition, AA strongly predicts user dissatisfaction (UD).The study contributes mainly to extending the existing framework of TRT to describe and explain AIadoption in tourism.