Is Artificial Intelligence the future of tourism?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most trending topics in recent months. Among the potential of this technology, it stands the possibility of profoundly transforming the tourism industry, opening up new opportunities for travelers and operators in the sector. The change is already underway, and concerns both the planning phase and the actual trip.

Book travel with AI

The process of planning and booking holidays, for example, has now become simpler, more accessible and customizable thanks to artificial intelligence. Chatbots, or "robots" specialized in dialogue, such as the very famous ChatGPT, are able to provide advice and suggestions on the main places to visit, drawing up a complete itinerary or indicating hypothetical mete of the trip.

Although these technologies cannot yet detect "hidden gems", given that their answers are based on content considered known and reliable, they can still be useful for obtaining some general ideas or even some info on typical local products.

Flying with AI

Le airline companies they already make extensive use of AI to optimize their business. Through predictive algorithms, for example, they are able to estimate how many passengers will cancel or miss their flights. This information then allows them to manage overbooking more efficiently, improving the customer experience and reducing costs.

In the hospitality sector, relating to tourism accommodation, intelligent tech solutions, such as those used by hotel booking platforms, present users with a series of personalized offers based on their preferences and needs. This personalization increases conversion rates, consequently increasing the number of bookings and the user satisfaction rate.

Robots in hotels?

In addition to its impact on the digital world, AI is also revolutionizing the "real" world, as demonstrated by the introduction of robots to carry out tasks reserved, in the past, for human staff.

To give a simple example, some restaurants are experimenting robots capable of collecting dirty dishes from tables and take them to the kitchen. Even if these are machines that are still incapable of moving completely autonomously, these technologies show in a practical way how much progress has been made in automation applied to catering and tourism.

Potential critical issues

Despite the undeniable advantages offered by AI, the importance of online security should not be underestimated, especially when considering the impact that new technologies could have on privacy and data integrity.

When planning a trip through chatbots or online booking platforms, it becomes crucial protect your Internet connection. The use of a Virtual Private Network (online VPN) guarantees greater protection of personal data and information relating, for example, to the payment methods used to book the trip, thus reducing the risk of online theft or extortion.

Furthermore, the consequences that the massive use of robots within the tourism sector could have on human employment are not yet entirely clear.

The impact of AI from a numerical point of view

A report from the World Travel & Tourism Council suggests that AI and machine learning could lead to an increase in global economic activity of around $2025 trillion in travel and tourism by 1.

AI, therefore, not only improves the traveler experience, but also offers clear economic benefits for the tourism industry. The potential of this technology is immense, as it can be used in many ways: to automate manual procedures, to increase security by detecting potentially malicious activities, to personalize customers' user experience through personalized recommendations, to make precise forecasts on demand of customers and prices.

AI-based innovations are helping hotels, restaurants, airline companies and other companies active in the tourism sector to provide higher quality services to their customers. Chatbots, intelligent search algorithms and intelligent navigation systems are just some of the tools available to operators in this sector today.

However, a gentle implementation of this technology would be desirable, in order to allow adequate social and occupational adaptation for all parties involved.