The Impact of AI on Travel: Exploring the Changes and Opportunities

 

If you ask ChatGPT to identify tourist-free areas in Mallorca, it will recommend the well-known attractions and authentic restaurants that are listed in all travel guides. The chatbot with artificial intelligence (AI) suggests going to the cathedral in Palma, the well-liked and charming town of Soller, and the centuries-old ice cream shop Ca'n Joan des'Aigo.

No magic solution

ChatGPT shines at simpler, more clear queries, though. The chatbot responds quickly and precisely when asked how to go to Placa d'Espanya Square in the heart of Palma by bus. Similarly, ChatGPT provides an accurate response when asked about sobrasada, a classic paprika sausage from Mallorca. The answer to my question concerning tipping on the island is yes, and 10% is typically thought to be extremely generous.

Wolfram Höpken, a professor of business informatics at Ravensburg-Weingarten University of Applied Sciences in southern Germany, predicted that "it won't be long until tourism-specific chatbots guide us through cities," adding that "the technology is definitely advanced enough." Additionally, "AI applications are currently being utilised in various areas

These 4 changes brought on by AI will alter society.

AI already exists Widespread

Travellers may not always be aware that artificial intelligence is mostly employed today to optimise business processes. Airlines, for instance, utilise AI to forecast the number of passengers who will miss or cancel their flights. Other businesses rely on such technology to identify phoney internet reservations. Even crowd control with AI is being employed in Venice.

Travellers, service providers, tourist attractions, and online travel agencies already employ AI systems, according to Höpken.

People who are on vacation or who are merely planning a trip may have come across AI systems in other settings as well. Nowadays, getting in touch with a major tour operator is likely to connect you with an online chatbot rather than a live person.Then there are intelligent systems that present customers with options customised to their unique needs and tastes, as shown in the case of hotel booking platforms. Last but not least, duties that used to be carried out by hotel and restaurant workers are gradually being replaced by robots.

However, simple robots like those that gather soiled dishes from restaurant tables and take them to the kitchen are also available. According to Höpken, these robots are not actually capable of navigating restaurants on their own.

Putting this aside, not all customers may want to converse with robots. According to the professor, this is why some applications of AI will be used in the travel and hospitality industry but not in others.

Don't rely on ChatGPT blindly

Höpken is certain that technologies like ChatGPT will become more and more crucial. Particularly when it comes to tourist enquiries, inaccurate or outright incorrect chatbot responses usually have less severe or dangerous effects than in other industries.

The royal family's vacation retreat in Mallorca, Marivent Palace, is not truly accessible to the general public, therefore anyone who follows ChatGPT's recommendation to go there will be let down.

Whether chatbots will actually replace tried-and-true travel guides or live travel advisors is yet to be seen. Even ChatGPT admits that it won't soon be in charge: "Although I can be useful as a digital assistant, I don't think I can build on the experience and opinions that travel experts and locals offer."