The majority of consumers prefer to use self-service tools when researching travel options, according to a study by online accommodation giant Booking.com.

The survey of 18,500 people from more than 25 countries revealed that 80% of holidaymakers prefer to self-serve to get the information they need.

While 50% of consumers do not mind whether they deal with a real person or an automated system as long as their questions are answered.

Booking.com has introduced an AI-enabled booking assistant, which can answer questions from customers after they have booked their accommodation. The chatbot is available across different devices and platforms.

The assistant can handle queries on issues such as payment, transport, arrival and departure times, date changes and internet availability.

Booking.com says the assistant can now deal with nearly 50% of customers’ post-booking accommodation enquiries. If the chatbot cannot answer a question, it will contact either the OTA’s customer service team or the property involved.

The accommodation giant says this technology will be particularly relevant for business travellers in terms of resolving issues quickly and reducing stress.

The element of consumers not caring whether it’s a machine or not is an interesting one.

American Express-owned Mezi also employs AI in its travel assistant. Johnny Thorsen, vice president of travel strategy and partnerships, says AI is “emotion enabling”.

Already, he says, Mezi users send quite personal messages even though they are interacting with a virtual assistant.

Thorsen says that the 24th most used word is “thank you” while “sorry” comes in at 44, demonstrating the emotional connection with chatbots.

But more widely self-service has also gained momentum.

Research from aviation technology specialist SITA finds passengers using technology throughout their journey have slightly higher satisfaction levels than those that do things face-to-face.

And, Travelport, in its study on the business and leisure trend, finds that one of the biggest painpoints for the Millennial business travellers is being unable to access booking information at all times across their digital devices. That said, they also want to be able to talk to a human being if needed.

This is not Booking.com’s first foray into the realm of chatbots. The company introduced an SMS-based chat tool two years ago for hotels and their guests.