Opinions expressed by business partners are their own.
If you're in the travel industry, you already know that everything you do is driven by a constant need to innovate. In the past, this need has been driven by a number of market forces and innovations, from extensive road networks and advances in ships and jets to online booking and the dramatic changes forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Included.
Generative AI is the latest major innovation force, and it cannot be ignored. It's changing the way companies large and small conduct their travel business, and GenAI has supercharged an already highly competitive industry into a new level of overdrive. Change in the travel industry is constant, and AI is accelerating it faster than anyone can imagine, even industry experts.
Learning new things and changing business operations always means a series of challenges and problems, but GenAI also represents an amazing opportunity that goes beyond a simple “innovate or die” narrative. This technology simply cannot be ignored, and this is especially true for small businesses – they need to embrace GenAI early and make sure they do it right.
Related: The Power of AI in Travel: A Look at How Artificial Intelligence is Shaping the Future of Tourism
Disruption in the travel industry: Your journey will soon be driven by creative AI.
While some industries were blindsided by AI's intrusion into traditional best practices, the travel industry is not at all like that. Travel leaders already have to integrate personalized marketing, predictive pricing, deep analytics and e-commerce into the way they work. But generative AI is adding powerful new capabilities to all of these areas, not to mention new things that are increasingly impactful.
Plan a trip online. It's been available for a while now, but current versions seem almost primitive compared to what GenAI is capable of creating. Established companies like Kayak and Expedia have been experimenting with online travel planning for some time, and new products and features are being added on an almost daily basis.
Let's use the example of planning a trip to a new destination. Plug in some well-chosen parameters and a few accurate pointers about your desired travel experience, and GenAI will present you with dozens of interesting possibilities, be they cultural, culinary, historical or entertainment-based. This level of personalization is driving high satisfaction and conversion rates among customers, and is a great example of a new opportunity powered by AI.
GenAI represents the ultimate opportunity for travel professionals.
This example barely scratches the surface of what GenAI can do, and the segments of the travel industry best positioned to take advantage of it are tour operators and destination management companies. These businesses already account for up to 40% of global travel spending, which means they wield enormous influence in the market. And GenAI is more than capable of multiplying this market power.
Why? Take destination management companies for example. They already have the experience, contacts and knowledge of local travel details that can make or break a trip or turn a good trip into a memorable experience of a lifetime. Add the power of GenAI, and they become industry leaders when it comes to tailoring personalized tours for their clients – plus, the technology makes it easy for them to expand their reach. This kind of unique flexibility cannot be easily matched by large travel companies or new travel technology startups, and it also allows them to pivot more quickly to new market demands.
Moreover, employees in travel companies are innovative by nature. Their first instinct is usually to create something that adds value to customers in incredibly powerful ways. They also understand that once travel preferences change, customers don't want to go back to the old way of doing things.
Related: How AI Solutions Can Improve the Travel and Hotel Booking Experience
What I Learned Running AI Workshops with Travel Industry Leaders
My knowledge of these issues is based on my experience running AI multi-day workshops with travel leaders around the world and members of National Tour Associations, and the time I've spent with them has been a revelation.
Their response to GenAI varies greatly from leaders in other industries. They're not reacting with fear or caution — instead, they're embracing GenAI's capabilities with open arms, mostly because they see the potential and potential to take advantage of this new technology. are capable of They are true born innovators.
As admirable as this openness is, though, it also comes with some important caveats. Learning about creative AI isn't easy. It takes more than just an open mind; Learning and deploying any new technology comes with the struggles as well as hard work, especially one as powerful as AI. This has to be done systematically and comprehensively, so I will offer some guidelines to use as a possible route.
My AI Advice for Travel Industry Leaders and Professionals
Develop AI Literacy:
The process of using and leveraging GenAI begins with the development of what I call “AI literacy.” This type of literacy is as basic and important as the reading and writing skills we all learned when we were very young. There's a lot of information out there about GenAI, and it's important to know how the technology works and what it can do. This is the first step in tailoring it to your specific needs as a travel industry leader.
Take a practical approach:
Start with a clear goal that translates into metrics. This will give you the time and guidance to focus on what you do best — serving travelers. The next thing you need to know is where to use GenAI in the travel process. My recommendation is to first use it to streamline your tasks—from initial drafts of the itinerary to data and opportunity analysis. The possibilities are endless.
Related: ChatGPT for Travel: Can AI Plan Your Next Vacation?
AI will not replace travel agents – it will make them more effective.
Finally, you need to understand that AI will not replace travel planners. This will enhance their magic. By taking over routine tasks, AI frees travel planners to focus on the heart and soul of their work, which is to create unforgettable experiences and build meaningful relationships with customers.
Imagine a world where travel planners have more time to listen, understand and fulfill each traveler's dreams, then make each trip special and unique. AI provides the tools and insights, but it's the human touch, passion and creativity of travel planners that turn trips into fond memories. Far from taking jobs, AI will open new doors for travel planners, allowing them to shine even more and have a profound impact on the lives of those they serve.