Exercise caution because AI and travel are not natural bedfellows, says Andy Headington
We know that AI is everywhere. No longer merely fodder for techies, it has become a huge talking point in the travel sector. According to the latest available data, AI’s ubiquitous poster boy ChatGPT has around 180.5million users, with the platform generating 1.7 billion visits in November 2023.
The big hitters in the travel industry have been quick to harness the potential of AI. Expedia has incorporated ChatGPT into its app to provide personalised recommendations and advice to its customers. Similarly, Kayak uses GPT technology to enable a more intuitive and personalised search engine, where customers can ask queries regarding hotels, flights and activities, receiving real-time recommendations.
Home-based travel agency Travel Counsellors will be utilising AI this year to improve its booking processes by launching a new software, TC Co-pilot, which will be integrated into the existing booking platform. The software will produce personalised itineraries for customers, helping to save time, improve performance and nudge agents to contact clients with updates and offers.
If you haven’t yet implemented AI and are curious to learn more, here are my top tips to help you get started:
1. Define your business problem
Don’t just hop on the AI bandwagon. AI and travel are not natural bedfellows as travel is very much about human experience. No AI tool in the world can show or describe how it feels to walk barefoot in the sand in the Maldives or ski down the slopes of St Moritz. That said, if you identify an existing issue that may be solved by the implementation of AI, then it’s worth investing the time, money and effort.
2. Make sure that AI solutions are the best answer
AI does not provide a one-size-fits-all solution. Whilst it might be great for some, implementing it into your business because you feel you must isn’t always the answer. Consider exploring existing or more cost-effective systems that are tried and tested.
3. Start small
Don’t put all your eggs in one AI tech basket – pick a small project with measurable outcomes and make that work first. Find recent case studies where other businesses have used AI in a similar way and once you have tried and tested it, you can look at expanding into a wider use of AI tools.
4. Train and support your staff
Once you get to grips with AI, you need to get your team on board. This includes helping them understand the benefits, such as automating repetitive tasks, supporting marketing campaigns, providing insights and so on. You will also need to make sure your team works within clear guidelines as to how and when to use it – chatbots such as Bard and ChatGPT should not be used to churn out copy for landing pages unless that content has been edited by a human.