Unlocking co-creation in travel: How generative AI sparks Aha Moments and the behavioral outcome

The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into tourism is reshaping how travelers plan, experience, and co-create value. While AI-generated content (AIGC) tools like travel guides streamline decision-making, little is known about how human-AI interactions inspire transformative cognitive leaps, “aha moments”, that drive collaborative behaviors. Grounded in social exchange theory, this study investigates how GenAI users leverage AIGC for travel planning and identifies the interactive mechanisms that ignite co-creation. Through qualitative analysis of AIGC-enabled travel scenarios, we reveal how perceived situational normality, AI realism, and intimate knowing between users and GenAI systems foster moments of sudden insight. These “aha moments” act as cognitive catalysts, transforming passive users into active co-creators who refine itineraries, share feedback, and innovate solutions. This study develops a three-dimensional cognitive framework comprising situational normality, AI realism, and intimate knowing to explain how users construct trust, meaning, and insight in GenAI interactions. Our findings advance theoretical frameworks for AI-mediated co-creation and offer actionable insights for designing trustworthy GenAI ecosystems that prioritize user agency, emotional resonance, and mutual value in tourism. This research underscores the transformative potential of GenAI not just as a decision-making tool, but as a partner in reimagining collaborative travel experiences.