In 2024, tourism and hospitality leaders and tech companies in South Africa are intensifying discussions to harness the power of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR).
This is in recognition of the fact that not doing so could have a detrimental impact on competitiveness.
The country’s inaugural Tech and Tourism Conference – which took place in Bryanston, Johannesburg on Thursday, February 22 – saw hospitality stakeholders, tourism associations, marketing experts, tech company CEOs and those at the cutting-edge of AI, VR and augmented reality (AR) developments, coming together to deliberate on the opportunities and challenges presented in this rapidly-evolving space.
Speaking at a panel discussion on the intersection between tech and tourism, Natalia Rosa, CEO of public relations company Big Ambitions, stressed the need for tourism businesses to carefully and deliberately integrate AI tools into their operations.
“You don’t start…
