Saudi’s Almosafer Trials AI-Powered Chatbot and Voice Search

You use the word roll-up; I used to be an investment banker, and a roll-up by definition really means taking a lot of companies and merging them together into one company and reducing costs. I’ve been at the company now since 2000, so I’ve been here a long time; I helped do all the deals. So, when we brought a company in, all of them were very small when we bought them, and one of the key things to get entrepreneurs to come and stay with us was to create an independent management style. So, the people who had started these companies would want to continue to do what they’re doing so well. You had to give them the sense that they still had some stake in how things were going to be done. We got really into why a company like Booking.com exists in the first place.

There’s just some recalibration about where Google gets its results on, what it’s allowed to scrape, and in particular, what the AI companies are allowed to scrape. So, I know there are going to be some soft times, there are going to be some great times. Like when we came out of the pandemic, there was that revenge travel surge, which is fantastic.

The specific path used to process data through a workflow request could get stuck in the eddies of human conversation. Before, if someone messaged a request for airport transportation, then asked about weather or toothpaste or extending another night, the system could get stuck on the ride to the airport. It was a hit with the company’s clients, who weren’t professional writers and sometimes struggled with effective product descriptions, said Magpie founder and CEO Christian Watts. Get stock recommendations, portfolio guidance, and more from The Motley Fool’s premium services.

And the best thing is, you don’t have to leave your home or even your bed. We have thousands of engineers around the world that in one way or another are working on Generative Artificial Intelligence, which is the type of AI that can create original content such as text, images or other. This technology brings a huge opportunity to deliver more value to the traveler and to the travel industry players. And best way to illustrate this is to mention a couple of examples, of the over 100 use-cases we are working on. We are enhancing our corporate self-booking tool with an AI-powered chatbot which will make the booking and servicing process of corporate travel more efficient.

It’s about the type of gym, the type of restaurant that you usually like to go to,” Cohen said, noting that Ava gathers information from a user’s past chats and reviews. “First, you need to have the team,” Cohen told moderator Seth Borko, Skift Senior Research Analyst, at the Skift Global Forum in New York City on Wednesday. Karaburun, of NYU, said he recently turned to ChatGPT for some tips for a trip to a work conference in Italy. After adjusting his prompts to be more specific, he said he found the restaurant recommendations useful.

The company claims it can help travel and tourism industry clients with booking and reservation, travel management, airline management, and customer management systems. TUI is shifting from traditional search methods to conversational AI to enhance customer travel experiences by focusing on desired activities like diving or nightlife. The company is testing an AI chatbot in its app to create tailored itineraries ChatGPT based on user preferences. Collaborating with multiple AI providers, TUI aims to modernize its digital operations and boost customer loyalty by moving users from the web to its app, reducing marketing costs and increasing customer lifetime value. This summer, customers of each airline will be able to purchase a single ticket to fly into either Dubai or Abu Dhabi, with a seamless return via the other airport.

Machine Learning and AI in Travel: 5 Essential Industry Use Cases

From a vendor/seller standpoint, these tools can significantly increase revenue streams. You can foun additiona information about ai customer service and artificial intelligence and NLP. Instead of acting simply as a resource to share information, travel destinations that employ AI-powered chat experience can facilitate transactions and drive non-revenue questions toward revenue actions. For travel agencies, tour operators, and destinations, it is imperative to keep up with travelers’ shifting demands and preferences as they become more accustomed to interacting with AI-driven tools to aid in their travel experiences.

As AI continues to evolve, this personalization will become even more sophisticated, with Penny able to anticipate user needs based on preferences and behaviors. This opens up the possibility for more dynamic interactions, where Penny could recommend upgrades or additional services based on the user’s travel habits. “We want to reach a point where Penny is almost like a personal travel concierge, offering suggestions and making recommendations even before the customer asks,” Keller revealed. One of Penny’s most significant advantages is its potential to revolutionize customer support in the travel industry. Keller emphasized that AI will play a central role in improving response times and increasing accuracy in handling customer queries, especially in cases where travelers face urgent issues such as flight cancellations or unexpected changes. “AI can drastically reduce the time it takes to resolve these situations, providing immediate solutions where it might have taken a human longer to respond,” Keller explained.

Other AI apps will build travel itineraries for you based on your interests, budget, companions, and the purpose of your trip. AI technology can use its analysis to forecast and predict behaviors based on historical data and current trends. For travelers, AI can predict future prices for flights and hotels, which can help users find the best deals based on its predictions. Travel booking companies can use predictive AI to inform travelers about the best time to book a hotel or buy a flight to a certain location.

You wouldn’t be crazy to think that smart technologies like ChatGPT will radically change the way we travel. We’re booking our own flights, checking our own bags, coordinating with hotel staff in languages we don’t speak and taking virtual tours of cities we’ve never been to, all thanks to artificial intelligence. Layla feels that its differentiation lies in surfacing different kinds of content and not having a website-like structure where users have to apply filters to get search results. While the company is using large language models to parse queries and display answers, it has built its own recommendation engine. Plus, Saeed mentioned Layla is building vision tech to help it answer queries like “show me destinations which look like Mars” or surface recommendations that are similar to places in a photo or a video.

“That said, the extent to which Expedia’s Romie or Booking’s AI tools gain adoption, could lead to a higher mix of direct and repeat traffic … and higher profitability.” Google, meanwhile, highlighted its travel planner prominently at its I/O Developer conference on May 14. It will be part of an update to its Gemini Advanced AI offering that is expected later this summer.

Travelers are Getting Better Customer Support From Generative AI Chatbots

“Before companies invest in generative AI, they need to make sure the technological fundamentals of their platform are sound,” Murthy said. “That’s much more compelling than going to TripAdvisor, and it will be for sure,” said Marc Mekki, who worked for over a decade as a tour operator and now coaches organizations on how to make sense of tech innovation. Mekki is scheduled to speak about generative AI at the travel industry conference Arival next month in Berlin.

Google’s newest natural language chatbot could simplify travel planning for people around the world—Meet Bard. The robot revolution doesn’t just affect the front end of the travel industry. AI art software is rapidly improving, able to create high-quality images with increasing ChatGPT App accuracy. One can imagine a future in which marketing teams use them to produce graphics for ad campaigns. However, the legality of using AI trained on copyrighted works is controversial, so we may need to content ourselves with using AI art as inspiration—at least for now.

From there, users can continue giving directions to the AI for further hyper-personalization. But keep in mind — the more specific users are with their requests, the better information the chatbot will provide. Expedia Group similarly leaned on OpenAI’s technology to launch a chat feature chatbot for travel industry for customers last year. The parent company behind Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo described Romie as putting trip planning on “autopilot.” Avvio claims hotels can use Allora to acquire large volumes of booking data from other hotels to identify patterns that lead to higher conversions.

However, Google is working to integrate with third-party tools to perfect this feature. Biometrics are also proving useful in the hospitality industry. Face ID helps serve regular customers at chain hotels even faster and determines relevant recommendations for them.

Airbnb also last year launched an AI-powered “anti-party” system designed to screen bookings for potential misuse. Meanwhile, travel companies are emphasizing their AI push to investors. During first quarter earnings call over the past month, internet stock analysts at Jefferies found that AI was mentioned most often by executives in the travel subsector, followed by e-commerce companies.

Forecast growth in hotels using chatbots worldwide 2022, by type

Here is a closer look at a couple of tools released this month. The updated app can be used in 20 languages and enables purchases in 20 currencies. The latest stories about business travel delivered weekly to your inbox.

Travel companies often have data scattered across various sources, including reservation systems, customer relationship management (CRM) platforms and social media data. Integrating all of this data into a centralized and cohesive platform is crucial for effective AI. If you’re a budget-conscious traveler who enjoys exploring local culture, AI might suggest a flight during the off-season combined with a stay in an affordable hotel close to historical landmarks and public transportation options. This level of personalization is likely to go beyond offering different flight options at various price points; it could actively curate an entire travel experience that caters to specific needs and preferences.

If one customer complains directly to the tour company, another on Tripadvisor, a third on Google, the problem could go unrecognized for a long time. Keep reading for a look into how the travel industry is using AI. We’ll discuss what AI means in the context of travel, review several AI applications for travel, and look at what’s next for AI and the travel industry. But in practice, AI travel plans leave something to be desired.

With the partnership, Pana’s paid users can now link the app to their Expensify account. According to Expensify, the expensing platform has also added integrations with companies like Jettly, a private jet charter marketplace, and ParkWhiz, an app for searching finding and booking spots. Prior to founding Pana, CEO Devon Tivona studied computer science at University of Colorado Boulder before analyzing new and emerging technologies on the research and development team at Hewlett-Packard. He’s also worked on IOS teams at Flipboard, a personalized news application that recommends news stories and publications based on user preferences, and MapQuest. Additionally, robust data security and privacy protocols are paramount to build trust with consumers. As AI continues to evolve, it’s essential to mitigate risks like hallucinations and ensure that AI systems align with ethical guidelines.

There will be a reliable consistency that will allow you to get the most out of your stay, whatever your reason for being there. With e-commerce you could stay on the sofa, go online, choose your shoes and have them delivered. The productivity gain was immense because that afternoon became half an hour. “The way we envision it working with Navan, we’re pulling all the data in through API, [and] because we have the data in our own data lake, we’re able to parse it in and use that data in our own messaging and system,” she explained. The AI “goes beyond some of the messaging that we have in the expense process, where people just click through, to now become a follow-up,” Burdge said, adding that the bot’s friendly tone has increased engagement. “We developed a guideline master document, and regional travel managers began their own FAQ documents to add to [their local] chatbot,” she said.

HelloGBye also says its software can manage itineraries and even more complex voice requests involve more than one traveler. Users who don’t wish to record voice messages can also send a text-based message with multiple travel requests to its chatbot. On its website, HelloGBye says it aims to solve pain-points of frequent professional travelers who need to book complex business trips or adjust travel plans quickly. According to the COVID-19 Air Transport Near Term Impacts and Scenarios report, 60% of those working for airlines and airports expect investment in automation and the deployment of artificial intelligence technology to rise.

He said the tour operator has already implemented AI innovation with its translation services, copywriting and SEO enhancements, communication posts, and to generate faster responses to customer queries. However, Jordaan didn’t disclose the size of TUI’s AI team, stating only that AI development and use was encouraged company-wide. Technology and systems allow to transact and help make a better experience, but the human touch is irreplaceable to get the most out of it. Travel has many particularities which result in many challenges. For example, once travel is consumed, it doesn’t exist anymore.

In addition to travel extensions, Bard is also integrating with Google Drive systems like Docs and Gmail, Youtube, and other services like Redfin, Zillow, and Kayak. Although the UI of Bard’s upcoming extensions is available, they are not currently working for online users yet. Travel experts anticipate major changes once chatbots fully enter the industry. With Bard, travelers can search key phrases like, “Find hotel accommodations in LA under $150 a night,” and get immediate results without spending time filtering through options. Flight pricing fluctuates daily so it can’t be pulled from cached internet data.

• The platform allows travel companies to build AI tools and apps that access their own proprietary data, which is needed to make a tool useful.
• TUI is shifting from traditional search methods to conversational AI to enhance customer travel experiences by focusing on desired activities like diving or nightlife.
• While stories about how AI will take jobs, the reality is that the roles will change as they did when the internet and smart phones, apps and mobile payments came on the scene.

Eddy Travels is another example of an AI-powered travel chatbot that helps search for flight deals, find accommodations, and get travel inspiration 24/7. With over 200 million active users, the bot is available on a dedicated website and Telegram. The service, which offers free and subscription models, also targets business users by offering features for group collaboration. While individual users can use HelloGBye for free, they can also gain more perks, such as the ability to earn rewards points and no booking adjustments fees, with a subscription for $19 a month.

The Boston Consulting Group suggests it’s not enough to only invest in scaling AI technology. You need to invest in people and processes in order to maximise the value and make true change. She thinks the fresh data capability could come soon from the expanded Microsoft-OpenAI partnership. It could also come from Google, based on conversations her team has had with the company about Bard, its generative AI technology. Right now, the Trip.com product team is working on gathering data and combining it with the OpenAI capabilities to make the function more relevant to TripGen users.

Recently, the Transportation Security Administration began using AI for facial recognition and ID verification in airports across the United States. Facial recognition technology uses biometrics to analyze facial features, fingerprints and iris patterns to verify a person’s identity. As the weather gets warmer and the school year comes to a close, many families are gearing up for travel this summer. But the emergence of AI in travel has significantly changed the travel experience. “You can ask questions anytime, and I’m hear to answer them gladly,” Emma says cheerfully at the end of her first video. She has spent the last 24 hours gamely engaging with her 1,061-and-counting Instagram followers and answering questions on the tourism board’s website.

Software company Adobe also is exploring use cases for AI-powered messaging across its travel program, largely to drive expense and policy compliance. Earlier this year, the company also partnered with an AI startup to automate responses to email-based travel inquiries. Consulting giant EY noticed a similar uptick in traveler inquiries following the Covid-19 outbreak and developed a chatbot solution to streamline processes for its travel teams and call center staff. “Right now, we’re in the process of filling out a very long FAQ document to feed into [the chatbot], and we hope to go live by December or January,” she said.

• “We want to solve business problems, not solve technology problems.
• The travel industry is undergoing a technological transformation with the rise of automation, adaptation, and digitization.
• And also, as travel is an interconnected ecosystem, there is a need to manage the transition because, for some time, you will have players in both the new and the old world.
• Navan said it is also using the technology to write, test, and fix code.
• While there’s still uncertainty, the picture is becoming clearer as big tech companies are starting to reveal more about their generative AI projects.

We begin with some of the startups that began using generative AI in the early days. It’s been nearly a year since the travel industry fell hard for ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence. Consumers are embracing such tools, which are good at gathering information, but a complete end-to-end experience will take time, as will direct booking through AI. Few industries are affected more by the weather than airlines; flight disruptions can result in millions of dollars in losses.

If ChatGPT drives gains for Saudi’s largest travel player, companies worldwide will take note. Plus, this week’s news from Red Sea Global, Oyo, Musafir, and other regional companies. In particular, implementing a data lake, a central repository for storing all travel-related data in its raw format, can help to solve this problem. This allows for flexible data exploration and analysis, facilitating the integration of diverse data sources for AI training.