As artificial intelligence is growing in the world, it is starting to be more present in the world of travel. For those that don’t know, artificial intelligence is the development of computer systems that allows computers to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. Some of these tasks include visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation, and more. With tasks being done by artificial intelligence, it can be done faster and more efficiently. This is a very positive thing for the travel and tourism industry as it can regulate certain processes and make overall experiences better for the consumer. Not only does artificial intelligence help the consumer in this situation, but it is also a big win for companies as it can save them time and money.
One way that the travel and tourism industry has taken advantage of AI is through chatbot functions on booking websites. As explained by MyTravelResearch.com
“Travelers are constantly increasing their information needs. Apart from the growing demand for more meaningful travel experiences, they also want travel destinations and businesses to meet the demand for communication and engagement—across all media and platforms” (White 2017).
With this demand, companies needed to figure out how they could serve their customers at all times of the day. When companies use chatbots, 
they can answer any questions or inquiries through AI. The chatbots are able to have real conversations with humans and help solve their inquiry even when hours of operation for the company are closed. Since I have been booking a lot of tourism services within the last couple months abroad, I have encountered many different chatbots. Whether it is for my flight booking or a booking for a hotel, they were there to help even when it was two in the morning. Companies that are paving the way for others in regards to maximizing the use of Chatbots include Expedia and Kayak.
Below you can find an interview with Steve Hafner, the founder and CEO of Kayak, as he explains how he integrates AI into his company to make experiences better for the consumer.
While Kayak and Expedia have been doing well, there are many different companies who have helped transform the way people travel. Below I will highlight some of the companies that are trying to do something new.
This company is based out of Boston and has helped revolutionize the way people book travel. This app helps consumers with the best times to book flights and hotel accommodations. The way it does this is through a predictive technology that tracks prices for the customer and alerts them when the best time to purchase is. As I have been traveling a lot these past couple weeks, knowing about this technology would have been very helpful.
While many people know of this company, recently they rolled out their new service called Julie. This service helps customers with anything they might need whether it is regarding a booking or just a simple question. While Julie can answer questions for you, she can also assist in the booking process as well. This service helps speed up the process for customers on the Amtrak website and makes the overall experience more smooth. One statistic states that their Julie service generated 30% more revenue for the company.
Based out of Los Angeles, California, this company focuses more on the hotel side of travel. Baarb understands that people can spend countless hours trying to find the right hotel that fits all of their needs so they created this company which helps match customers with the best hotel according to their needs. The company uses a tool that searches different listings across different sites to find what is best for the customer.
While these are just a few examples, many different travel companies are taking advantage of the benefits that AI can bring to their company. With artificial intelligence, tourism focused businesses can run more efficiently and essentially bring a better service to their customers. The tourism industry is such a large industry and the benefits of AI are only just beginning to scratch the surface.
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