What did you think when ChatGPT first came out? Maybe you were in the “nice, but useless gadget” camp. Or did you immediately see it as a powerful tool that will shake up our industry?
NB: This is an article from Atomize, one of our Expert Partners
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The latter has proven true. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have only been around for a short while. But we can already notice an impact in many areas of the hospitality industry.
That goes for both hotels and travelers.
Hotels and accommodation providers have gained a new ally when it comes to developing and implementing data-driven commercial strategies, optimizing processes, and scaling personalization.
And travelers love the ease AI brings to researching and planning trips.
Let’s look at the challenges and opportunities this new development brings for your property.
AI-powered travel planning: reshaping research and booking
It was only a matter of time before AI began impacting travel. And while this new technology is still developing, we’re already seeing changes in traveler behavior from the discovery phase to the booking process.
From keywords to context
In the past, people began their research with terms like “hotels in Barcelona.” This led properties to optimize their website for high-volume search terms to attract site visitors.
Their approach worked because search engines focus heavily on keywords, leaving it to the searcher to weed out the many irrelevant options. You know from personal experience how time-consuming and often frustrating this is.
AI models take a different approach. They base suggestions on the user’s concrete request, past behavior, reviews, and the options available in the market. This allows them to grasp search intent, preferences and context. Consequently, results are more curated.
Travelers are ready to adopt this new approach of searching. 57% hope for more relevant results by using AI. They see it as an efficient way to personalize their trips down to the last element. In exchange, 48% are ready to share more personal data during research.
Conversational search in AI-powered travel planning
AI allows users to ask the exact questions they have on their mind. They no longer need to think up an artificial-sounding query to improve result relevance.
For example, now people are asking AI assistants specific questions like: “Where should I stay for a quiet, romantic getaway in Barcelona next month?”
