The adoption of artificial intelligence in the travel industry is progressing with the deployment of prototypes and experiments across all sectors of the sector.
In early 2023, OpenAI publicly launched its broad language model called ChatGPT, paving the way for a race for artificial intelligence. A test in which the Tech giants want to participate, such as Google which followed in the footsteps of its Californian competitor presenting, in June 2023, its broad language model called Gemini for Generalized Multimodal Intelligence Network.
The race for artificial intelligence
While the two Silicon Valley companies are each trying to impose their AI model on users around the world with sometimes spectacular presentations, many companies have placed artificial intelligence among their priorities in terms of innovations.
To the extent that 89% of business executives rate AI as one of the top three technology priorities in 2024, according to BCG. A novelty that travel players have already begun to experiment with, especially through a chat or conversational agent. State of play of the first virtual travel assistants developed by Tourism players and powered by artificial intelligence, which provides an overview of the impact of this technology on the user journey.
When Travel Embraces AI
An OTA, a hotel group, an airline and a startup specializing in artificial intelligence each presented prototypes of smart travel assistants with similar properties, highlighting the ability of this technology to meet the needs of the entire industry.
After testing a beta version of its tool with a closed circle of users, Mindtrip unveils its travel assistant powered by conversational AI and enriched with travel-specific content in more than 30 countries. It helps to inspire the user during the preparation phase, organize trips and activities during the stay and can serve as a basis for managing expenses and creating a post-stay travel diary.
At Saudi Airlines, artificial intelligence serves the shopping experience. The company’s Travel Companion developed by Accenture was designed to evolve the travel booking experience by providing personalized, comprehensive offers enriched with visual content.
With his travel assistant, Accor makes the booking experience conversational. Offered on the ALL.com reservation site, Accor’s travel assistant will answer all customers’ questions, before, during or after their stay. Beyond rooms, it discovers activities, special offers and experiences, around wellness and food, that guests might overlook during a traditional search. The assistant uses both Accor data and external data.
Priceline turned to Google’s Gemini model to develop its intelligent travel assistant, which is planned to be deployed in the summer of 2024. This virtual assistant will be able to plan trips, suggest destinations, hotels or even routes based on certain parameters (rates, weather, traveler profile…). At the same time, this AI will improve the internal operations of employees by automating some of their tasks.