The Revolutionary Role of AI in Tourism

More and more commercial and industrial sectors are stepping up their use of artificial intelligence (AI) to increase their operational capabilities, optimize processes and offer a better product/service to the customer. This is what AI is contributing to tourism, among many other things.

Thanks to the various tools provided by AI, all the businesses that make up the tourism industry, such as travel agencies, hotels, airports, and airlines, are undergoing the beginning of a total transformation, a resounding change in the way they operate and in the way they present the travel experience.

Artificial intelligence is playing a completely revolutionary role in the travel industry.

How is AI changing tourism?

Artificial intelligence involves the use of advanced algorithms and computers to simulate human logic and perform tasks that, until now, could only be performed by people, and in which it is necessary to recognize, interpret and make certain decisions.

Therefore, the travel industry has been able to leverage artificial intelligence and its subfields, such as machine learning and deep learning, to create responsive and adaptive environments and systems and to deliver services that can respond and cater to customer requests and needs.

AI streamlines almost every process in the travel industry. It can do this from stand-alone systems or built into certain existing platforms. These include systems that interact with customers through conversation, offer recommendations, translate from one language to another, or that can be used to personalize services.

For example, AI can be used to adapt the lighting, temperature and music in a hotel room, without the need for the user to request it. It is also present in airport security, through scanning or facial recognition systems, or even in travel guides, using systems that interpret patterns.

Companies associated with tourism must always focus their management on the customer, on providing them with an excellent experience and, in this way, building a good reputation. And AI makes it all easier because, even without staff, it helps respond quickly to demands, personalize services, and adapt to people's preferences and requirements.  

AI is also changing the game for tourists, making it easier for them to experience their travels in the safest and most comfortable way. In addition, it helps them to be more mobile because any information they may need is at the tip of their fingers, and in any language they may require.

Examples of AI in the tourism industry

The following are among the main applications of AI in tourism:

• Face-to-face customer service, using robots. There are hotels and airports that have added robots to guide customers and answer every query. They can even point out addresses. These robots learn continuously from every human interaction. 

  • An example of AI in tourism is the Connie robot used by the Hilton chain.

    

• Travel booking. It is now possible to book accommodation and flights, rent cars, book cruises, tour packages and more through intelligent chatbots that are now outnumbering travel agents. They function through mobile applications or by integrating them into social networks.

  • Another example of AI in tourism is the travel agency Expedia's smart app.

    

• Information processing. Companies in the tourism industry use AI to capture, interpret and classify data. By doing so, they obtain valuable information in a fast and effective way: find out about customer habits, analyze trends, apply commercial strategies, etc.

  • For example, thanks to artificial intelligence in the tourism industry, the Dorchester Collection hotel processes customer surveys to find out what they think of the company in real time.

• Intelligent predictive applications. There are apps that offer forecasts of future flight costs or predictions of hotel room prices. By consulting this information, travelers know the best time to book flights, or when a particular room will be offered at the lowest price.

  • Example: Hopper predicts flight prices using machine learning algorithms and an extensive database.

• Deciphering opinions on social networks. Hotels and airlines are using AI-based sentiment analysis tools in order to understand the posts and comments made by customers on social networks about the company's services. It is used for evaluating business management and applying necessary measures.

  • For example, if a customer complains about a delayed flight, the airline will offer them a discount on their next booking.

Future trends for AI in tourism

Trends clearly indicate that AI will continue improving both the traveler experience and companies' management and services in the industry.

In this context, future developments will give companies the ability to understand the customer even more and enable them to adjust their services/products to the customer's needs.

In addition, AI-enabled systems will execute certain tasks entirely, freeing up employees for other more hands-on requirements. This results in reduced operating time and cost, and will enable companies to offer more competitive prices.

For example, industry trends include:

• Intelligent baggage handling at airports through the use of robotics and AI.

• Self-service in certain processes, such as consulting information at airports, or check-in and check-out at hotels, on ships, etc., through the implementation of sophisticated robots and voice assistants.

• The creation of fully customized travel packages, through mobile applications.

AI-based translation in the tourism industry

Normally, travel involves contact with various languages. Therefore, language represents one of the biggest barriers for tourists when it comes to traveling, seeing the world, and discovering local cultures.

AI in the travel industry also has applications in language translation. Machine translation helps tourists to travel smoothly, allowing them to get to know, explore and participate in the activities of any culture.

In this case, intelligent systems and applications have been developed for machine translation and simultaneous translation, using natural language processing and machine learning.

In this way, AI translation in tourism helps to ensure that language differences do not limit the traveler. On the contrary, this cultural difference will be an extra attraction on their trip.

At Pangeanic, we specialize in natural language processing and have many years of experience in machine and professional translation for the travel industry. We provide translation services for hotel websites, restaurant menus, tourist brochures, etc., and any other text or document you may require for your company.