The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and Microsoft highlighted the transformative power of the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the sector, marking a commitment to a digital future that offers unique experiences to travelers.
The report, “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology: Guide for Travel & Tourism Leaders ,” is the first part of a comprehensive report on Artificial Intelligence, and highlights how AI is poised to redefine the standards of travel and tourism.
As a global industry leader, WTTC is committed to driving innovation and supporting the sector to embrace AI and other cutting-edge technologies. The report notes that AI can play a critical role in delivering an improved travel experience, now and in the future.
Additionally, this technology can boost personalized recommendations and marketing strategies by analyzing traveler data, optimizing pricing strategies through real-time adjustments, and offering instant responses and tailored interactions through sophisticated AI-powered chatbots.
The report also highlights that AI capabilities extend to predicting future demand patterns, efficiently allocating resources and providing valuable information to governments and stakeholders in the travel and tourism sector.
It should be noted that this contribution can be fundamental to promote sustainability with efficient resource management, by monitoring and minimizing environmental impacts, guaranteeing a more responsible and sustainable sector.
Julia Simpson, President and CEO of WTTC, said: "As we navigate the ever-evolving travel and tourism landscape, AI is emerging as a catalyst for positive change. The transformative capabilities highlighted in this report demonstrate that “AI is not just a technological advancement, it is a strategic tool that can personalize the customer experience, drive sustainable improvements and create real-time pricing models.”
For her part, Julie Shainock, General Manager of Travel, Transportation and Logistics at Microsoft, said: "The use of AI models across the travel sector enables greater productivity for companies and drives a more personalized consumer experience.
"For travelers, the ability to generate more inspiration and personalized offers on booking to provide tools to consumers to proactively help them while they are at the destination to anticipate their needs with relevant information to improve their trip. For travel companies travel, AI is there to increase productivity, automate the predictable, and allow our human-centric approach to high-value moments in travel to shine brighter.”
Despite growing examples of AI applications in travel and tourism, the report reveals that the sector is lagging behind other consumer-facing industries in adopting this technology. The increase in the application of AI in various sectors over the past year now represents a relevant force, and the travel sector must act now to harness its impact.
Challenges that travel and tourism businesses must overcome include a shortage of skilled AI workers, limited infrastructure for its application, and the absence of a formal “AI strategy” in many business plans.
The WTTC urges travel and tourism companies to adopt AI as a strategic priority, investing heavily in talent to foster collaboration between humans and AI.
Amid concerns about the impact of AI on employment, the report addresses the potential for job creation, recognizing that although AI will be disruptive, it will in turn generate new opportunities.
In the pursuit of sustainable AI practices within the travel and tourism sector, responsible data management emerges as a crucial strategy.
Implementing measures such as data minimization, efficient storage and responsible data disposal becomes essential for organizations seeking to reduce their carbon emissions when using new digital technologies and significantly decrease their AI environmental footprint.
The report explores the applications of AI in society and business, emphasizing the need for safe and responsible design of AI systems in travel and tourism, marking a milestone in the sector's commitment to innovation and sustainability, and shows the potential of AI to shape a better future.
Source: WTTC.