From AI Adaptation to Service Delight: A Cognitive–Emotional Pathway through AI-Based Service Trust and AI-Induced Surprise in Tourism Experiences

Abstract

This study investigates how adaptation to artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tourism services contributes to customer delight by examining the cognitive and emotional mechanisms underlying AI-driven service experiences. Specifically, the study explores the mediating roles of AI-based service trust and AI-induced service surprise, while examining the moderating role of customer technology readiness.Grounded in expectation–disconfirmation theory, cognitive appraisal theory, and commitment-trust theory, this study develops a cognitive–emotional framework explaining how AI-enabled tourism services move beyond functional efficiency toward enhanced experiential outcomes. Data were collected through face-to-face surveys from tourists visiting major tourism destinations in Türkiye, including Istanbul, ˙Izmir, Antalya, and Cappadocia. The proposed model was examined using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings demonstrate that AI adaptation positively influences customer service delight through both direct and indirect mechanisms. Specifically, AI-based service trust and AI-induced service surprise partially mediate the relationship between AI adaptation and service delight, revealing a sequential cognitive–emotional pathway in which trust facilitates positive emotional responses that enhance overall tourism experiences. Furthermore, customer technology readiness strengthens the positive relationship between AI adaptation and service delight, indicating that technologically prepared customers derive greater experiential value from AI-enabled services.This study extends AI-enabled tourism research by moving beyond technology acceptance and functional perspectives to explain how AI creates emotionally meaningful customer experiences. By introducing AI-induced service surprise as a novel experiential mechanism, the study contributes to understanding how cognitive evaluations of AI reliability transform into emotional responses and customer delight. The findings provide practical guidance for tourism organizations seeking to design AI-powered services that foster trust, generate positive surprises, and create memorable customer experiences.