Appinio x TUI Musement

Understanding how customers perceive AI-generated content

How Appinio helped TUI Musement navigate the AI revolution in travel imagery.

Adapting to new AI trends

TUI Musement is a global Tours & Activities business that combines a highly curated product portfolio, scalable digital platforms and in-destination service by local teams, to source, develop, distribute and deliver millions of experiences, transfers and multi-day tours every year. The business is a key growth area of TUI, one of the world’s leading tourism groups, operating worldwide and serving over 20 million customers, with more than 400 hotels, 130 aircraft, 17 cruise ships, and 1,200 travel agencies.

Brand Industry

Travel

Market

UK, Germany & Spain

Scope

30 targeted questions

Respondents

1,200 respondents (400 per country)

Challenge

In an era, where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, TUI Musement needed to understand the implications of AI-generated imagery in their marketing materials. With a database of millions of images, the company wanted to explore how customers perceive AI-generated content and its potential impact on trust, authenticity, and booking decisions—all while ensuring ethical AI implementation across the business.

What TUI says

“AI presents opportunities for the travel industry to enhance customer engagement. However, the importance of ethical AI deployment is paramount. This type of research is key to understanding how best to integrate advanced technology.”

Peter Ulwahn, CEO of TUI Musement

Appinio's Approach

Research Objectives

The study focused on three key areas: assessing customers' ability to recognize AI-generated images, understanding the impact on brand trust, and evaluating the influence on purchasing decisions.

Methodology

Our research methodology was carefully designed to eliminate bias and gather authentic insights across all age groups, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers.

The included methodology:

Initial assessment of customer attitudes toward holiday imagery without revealing the AI focus
Comparative analysis of AI and real images showing identical scenes
Blind A/B testing across five image sets
Final evaluation of image recognition capabilities

Impact

🎯45% of customers rely on images for booking decisions
🤖 2X higher curiosity for AI Imagery
🌍 88% of customers prefer blended content approaches

The reality behind AI recognition

Our research uncovered an interesting gap between how well people think they can spot AI-generated images and their actual ability to do so.Only 22% of participants in the UK felt confident identifying AI images, and this dropped to just 9% in Germany and Spain. While younger generations, like Gen Z and Millennials, were more confident (17%), people of all ages struggled with accurate detection. In reality, the detection rate across all markets was only 13%.
AI Perception: From curiosity to scepticism

Reactions to AI-generated content varied widely across different groups, ranging from curiosity to significant skepticism. The UK market, Gen Z and Millennials (who were 17% more open to it), and male participants were the most enthusiastic. On the other hand, the Spanish market, Baby Boomers, and female participants approached it with more caution.
Influence on purchase decisions

Our research also revealed an interesting paradox in consumer behavior that influenced TUI Musement's approach to visual content. AI-generated images sparked twice as much curiosity as traditional photos. However, despite this higher curiosity, both AI and traditional images were equally effective in driving bookings.

Trust and market implementation

Using Appinio, TUI Musement discovered how to build customer trust while rolling out AI technology. The research revealed that 88% of people prefer a mix of professional and user-generated photos, with authentic imagery boosting trust by 91%.

AI acceptance varied widely across markets, guiding TUI Musement on both global and local strategies. Acceptance was highest in the UK at 72%, dropped to 65% in Germany, and fell to just 44% in Spain.

These insights are already informing TUI Musement's approach to managing their vast image database of millions of photos, helping them balance innovation with authenticity across different markets.

What TUI says

“The research findings underscore the importance of balancing innovation with transparency. We must ensure that AI enriches the travel experience without compromising trust.”

Peter Ulwahn, CEO of TUI Musement

Going from data to direction

The results of this study have become fundamental to TUI Musement's digital content strategy. The insights revealed the importance of maintaining authenticity while exploring innovative technologies. By understanding the nuanced relationship between image source and customer engagement, TUI Musement can now make informed decisions about their visual content strategy across different markets.

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