Travel and tourism urged to embrace AI despite being ‘disruptive’

The claim was made by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Microsoft in the first of a series of new reports highlighting the power of AI

WTTC believes the technology can empower personalized recommendations and marketing strategies by analyzing traveller data, optimizing pricing strategies through real-time adjustments, and offering instant responses and fine-tuned interactions via sophisticated AI powered chatbots. But the report reveals the sector lags other consumer-facing industries in AI adoption.

Key takeaways

• The report highlights AI’s capabilities extend to predicting future demand patterns, allocating resources, and providing insights for governments and sector stakeholders;
• Challenges that must be overcome by travel and tourism businesses include a shortage of AI-skilled workers, limited AI infrastructure, and the absence of a formal ‘AI strategy’ in many business plans;
• Businesses are urged to embrace AI as a strategic priority, investing heavily in talent to foster collaboration between humans and AI;
• Amid concerns about AI’s impact on jobs, the report addresses the potential for job creation, recognizing that although AI will be disruptive, it will in turn generate new opportunities.

Download the report at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)