New Phocuswright research: European travelers more willing to share passport details than browsing history
Findings on trust, AI and data sharing help set the scene for The Phocuswright Conference 2026, Nov. 17-19 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Phocuswright survey of 1,554 European leisure travelers finds passport storage more accepted than browsing history use, with fewer than 1 in 4 trusting AI-generated travel results.
Photo by Phocuswright
European travelers are selective about the personal data they share with travel companies, and most need to see exactly what they get in return, according to new research from Phocuswright. Travelers are more comfortable storing their ID details to speed up check-in than having their browsing history used to personalize offers.
The findings come from Phocuswright's report, Europe's Trust Economy: Confidence as Travel's Newest Competitive Advantage, based on a survey of 1,554 leisure travelers in the U.K., France and Germany.
The UK overall showed more comfort with data sharing than Germany and France; 45% of travelers are comfortable with travel companies storing travel documents and ID details to speed up check-in, and 47% are comfortable with profile and contact details being stored for faster checkout. Comfort drops when data is used for broader personalization. Comfort in sharing search history was lower: 37% of UK travelers are comfortable with their search, browsing and purchase history being used to personalize their experience, falling to 31% in France and 28% in Germany.
Trust in AI remains low, according to the study. Fewer than one in four travelers in any of the three markets completely or mostly trust AI-generated travel results. The report finds travelers want AI to organize options and explain trade-offs, but still expect to verify, compare and override its recommendations.
Attitudes also differ by market. UK travelers are the most open to companies storing their information, German travelers are more cautious about data and French travelers show the lowest trust of the three markets in each of the top four planning sources: Friends and family, travel agents, traveler reviews and YouTube videos. Only 25% of French travelers trust traveler reviews, compared with 35% in the UK.
Fewer than half of European travelers are comfortable with a travel company storing their ID, even though it’s one of the uses they’re most comfortable with. Comfort drops further when the data feeds personalization they can’t see. The rule for travel companies is simple. Ask for data only when the traveler can see what they get back, and show your work when AI makes a recommendation. As AI agents start to search and book on travelers’ behalf, the companies travelers trust with their data will be the ones that win the booking. We’ll put that question to the platforms, airlines, hotel groups and investors on stage in Fort Lauderdale next month
Pete Comeau, managing director, Phocuswright
The Phocuswright Conference 2026 takes place Nov. 17-19 under the theme "Pressures. Power. Pivots." The program will examine how AI agents, platform power and control of traveler identity are reshaping how travel is discovered, distributed and sold. Confirmed speakers include Omri Morgenshtern, CEO of Agoda; Brigit Zimmerman, CEO of Priceline; Bryan Batista, CEO of Skyscanner; John Mangelaars, CEO of Travelport; Matthew Upchurch, chairman and CEO of Virtuoso; Alfonso Paredes of Expedia Group; Chris Wilroy of Hilton; and Evan Konwiser of American Express Global Business Travel, alongside senior leaders from Google, TikTok, United Airlines, the US Travel Association and more.