Tourist Loyalty and AI Personalization: A Trust-Based Study

Abstract

This study explores how AI-driven personalization influences customer satisfaction and tourist loyalty in the tourism sector. It focuses on the role of trust in shaping these outcomes. The research was conducted in Marrakech, Morocco, with 282 visitors who used AI-powered tourism services, such as chatbots, personalized recommendations, or virtual guides. To analyse the relationships among the variables, the study extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). It adds two key factors: perceived personalization and trust in AI. Structural equation modelling was used to test the connections between perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, satisfaction, trust, and loyalty intention. The results show that ease of use has a clear effect on both usefulness and satisfaction. Tourists who found the AI tools easy to use were more likely to feel satisfied and to see value in the service. AI-based personalization also had a strong effect on satisfaction. Satisfied tourists were more likely to express loyalty. Trust in AI was another important factor. It directly influenced loyalty, even more than satisfaction in some cases. However, the study did not find a significant moderating effect of trust between satisfaction and loyalty. Also, perceived usefulness did not lead directly to satisfaction. This suggests that functional performance alone is not enough. What matters more is how the AI makes the tourist feel, and whether the experience feels personal and intuitive. This study adds to the literature by focusing on an emerging tourism market. It offers a local perspective from the Global South, where AI is gaining ground but remains unevenly adopted. The results can guide tourism businesses and decision-makers who want to use AI in ways that are effective, trustworthy, and centred on the tourist experience.