Forbes
The technological revolution has reached the heart of tourism, transforming how trips are planned and experienced. From planning entire itineraries to previewing accommodations through virtual reality, artificial intelligence has opened up an unprecedented range of possibilities in the tourism sector.
The implementation of artificial intelligence in this sector is acting as one of the main drivers of development and catalysts for improvements for all actors involved in this economic activity.
Artificial intelligence is redefining how we travel, discover destinations, and enjoy tourism. Hotel chains, travel agencies, and booking services, as well as tourists themselves, are leveraging the benefits of this technology to create a better experience.
Personalized experiences, optimized pricing and offers, immersive experiences, reservation management, and even improved resources are just some of the benefits this technology offers, which benefits both travelers and businesses in the sector. For users, it allows them to save costs, and for businesses, it enables them to define better strategies for attracting customers.
Airbnb serves as an example. A few years ago, they focused on criteria such as travel dates, duration, and price to match guests with relevant listings. Now, according to the booking platform, the implementation of machine learning algorithms allows them to offer personalized recommendations to guests, increasing the likelihood of a successful booking.
This company uses artificial intelligence to analyze elements such as guest clicks, places they visit, and host preferences, thus ranking listings that guests are most likely to book.
Booking.com, one of the world's leading digital travel platforms, announced its new AI-powered trip planner last year.
Building on existing machine learning models at Booking.com, which recommend destinations and accommodation options to millions of people on the platform every day, the platform aims to create a new conversational experience to help people start planning their trips.
This company asserts that the relevance of AI in the realm of business travel cannot be underestimated. Given that “80% of business travelers rely on AI tools while planning or during a trip, AI has a significant role to play,” as evidenced by a study conducted by the company that surveyed 502 full-time (95%) and part-time (5%) business professionals across the United States who travel for business.
Last year, Expedia Group, which includes Expedia.com, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, announced its partnership with ChatGPT, integrating the popular chatbot into its app. The group says travelers can use it as a trip planning tool, requesting recommendations for accommodations or experiences based on budget, dates, or specific preferences.
“We have been using AI for years to make travel easier by offering the right options to the right travelers at the right price, so that traveling is easier,” said Rathi Murthy, CTO and president of Expedia Product and Technology.
User experience
For Yerenna Álvarez, who has used artificial intelligence to organize her trips, this technology has proven to be much more useful than she expected. It has not only helped her with recommendations and key information about the places she has planned to travel to, but it has also served to plan itineraries and budgets for specific destinations, as well as helping with the creation of to-do lists for visa processes.
He says that this tool has saved him time and in many cases the intermediation of a travel agent, something that has helped to lower costs inherent in these processes.
Leidy Lorenzo Pache, who is starting her own travel agency, says that when making reservations she uses this technology because it provides her with quick and accurate information about what she is looking for.
“An example of that is when I use filters if I have a certain budget, so I avoid searching through options that might be attractive, but in the end don't fit my budget,” she says.
Think of it this way: anything that makes traveling easier should be welcomed, because it saves time, money, and bad experiences.
Travelers' interest in using AI is evident in a global survey conducted by Expedia Group among some 20,000 people in 14 countries. The study, carried out between September 12 and October 5, 2023, revealed that 32% of travelers reported having used conversational AI to plan a trip.
The research indicates that half of those surveyed would be willing to use generative artificial intelligence to find a hotel or vacation rental, 38% would use it to compare flights or simply get inspiration on where to go, and 46% would use it to find activities.
There is even more striking data demonstrating the potential of this technology and how it is being received and perceived by tourists. The report "Airplanes, Trains, and Big Language Models: Will Conversational AI Revolutionize the Travel Experience?", published last year by the research firm National Research Group, indicates that 24% of travelers say they would consider paying an annual or monthly subscription fee to access artificial intelligence designed to assist with travel planning.
The study, which surveyed 1,001 US consumers, states that, on average, these consumers say they would be willing to spend US$110 a year (or just over US$9 a month) on such a product.
McKinsey's research, "The Promise of Travel in the Age of AI," goes further, determining that generative AI has the potential to generate between US$2 trillion and US$4 trillion in annual revenue value across all industries.
What does the World Tourism Organization say?
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is also aware of the potential of these technologies to further the development of tourism. As proof of this, in November 2023 the organization signed an agreement with the digital transformation company Telefónica Tech for digital entrepreneurship, innovation and application of new technologies (big data, artificial intelligence, etc.), and talent development.
Miriam Rubio, a specialist from the UNWTO's Department of Innovation, Education and Investment, explained to Forbes Dominicana via email that the tourism sector has always gone hand in hand with innovation and has been one of the first to adapt to it.
“In fact, you only have to look at how quickly we have adopted things like buying tickets online, booking restaurants through mobile apps, etc. into our daily lives,” he said.
