Artificial Intelligence Reshaping the Travel Industry.
Silvia Avilés, Event Director TIS – Tourism Innovation
Summit
428
The
use of artificial intelligence (AI) in tourism has given rise to a
transformative era, where technological advancements redefine travel
experiences. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) stands out as a
technology significantly impacting the travel industry. Generative AI has the
potential to bring new values to customers, creating more personalized and
unique experiences, as well as more accessible experiences at so many levels.
By Silvia
Avilés, Event Director TIS – Tourism Innovation Summit
A recent
study by Northstar made evident the growing trust in AI, with 75% of travelers
expressing confidence in AI recommendations for choosing their next vacation
destination. This statistic highlights the increasing reliance on technology to
enhance the decision-making process. However, it's crucial to strike a balance
between technological integration and preserving the human touch that defines
the essence of tourism.Despite the pivotal role of technology in this context,
it is imperative to recognize that the integration of AI tools should be driven
by purpose. It's essential to remind ourselves that technology should serve a
purpose, rather than merely speeding up processes. We are in a time where speed
makes us lose focus on the impact this technology could have in the future, and
this is something we need to work on. Tourism is a very human activity where
interaction is key, and we should not lose sight of the human element in
travel. While AI can undoubtedly streamline operations and enhance efficiency,
it must align with the values and principles that define the way we travel and
how to enhance experiences efficiently, but mostly positively for travelers.
Generative artificial intelligence holds the promise of revolutionizing the entire travel cycle by offering new hyper-personalization processes. The key lies in harnessing the potential of data management and analytics models that enable hotels to respond in realtime to customer feedback, thereby optimizing performance. This dynamic approach is already making waves in the industry, reshaping the way businesses operate and engage with their customers. Moreover, emerging technologies like Web3 are proving to be invaluable for the travel sector, introducing efficiencies and cost reductions in transactions between various stakeholders. By creating a unified platform for hotels, car rentals, airlines, and more, Web3 fosters a collaborative environment that promotes direct distribution models. This not only streamlines processes but also enhances transparency, creating a win-win scenario for both businesses and consumers. We will have to wait and see, but not much, how these new business models will impact businesses.
This fall, at TIS – Tourism Innovation Summit, I had the privilege to see real applications of AI used in hotel management, airline customer experiences, and measurement of sustainable practices on destinations, but mostly on the creation of content to reach new communication channels and audiences. AI is here to stay. Working at the leading event on travel tech in Seville gives me the honor to discuss the new challenges that this “AI-era” is provoking. To give a few impressions, it is a must to stay ahead with the talent of our industry. While the lack of professionals is still one of the biggest challenges, converging tourism with the digital world can be also an opportunity to attract new profiles to consider our industry as the place-to-be for its innovation and dynamism. But to be there we must start working and create strategies for the whole organization, capacitate our teams with a human-tech culture to respond to the new changing behaviors of travelers. Passionate days for the ones who understand those tools that are here to make our lives, work, and experiences easier and more memorable. Looking forward to seeing how the travel industry can be in the first position on the AI race, overtaking other industries more advanced in this field.
