Chatbots, price optimization, room security and more, how technology can help the sector
Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to disrupt the travel sector, with hoteliers reaping the benefits of improved customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Online travel booking sites have replaced travel agencies for leisure travel, with giants Expedia Group (Nasdaq:EXPE) and Booking Holdings (Nasdaq:BKNG) dominating this space, with customers choosing their preferred hotels and airlines. We invest heavily to help you find Connect as soon as possible.
Earlier this month, Expedia launched an in-app feature powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT that allows users to enter travel logistics questions.
The AI function responds with flight options and guesses the type of accommodation the user would like.
Booking’s Kayak is just starting to use a similar feature powered by ChatGPT.
AI has the power to do much more than just help travelers find what they want.
BIV When I asked ChatGPT how hoteliers can use AI, it responded with six bullet points.
• Personalized recommendations by analyzing data from guests’ booking patterns.
• A chatbot that handles guest queries and requests.
• Predictive maintenance.
• Price optimization by analyzing supply, demand and competition.
• An in-room voice assistant that adjusts the temperature, orders food, and offers travel tips.and
• Room Security.
Ingrid Jarrett, CEO of BC Hotel Association, said:
“We have technology that was doing this in terms of data analysis, booking patterns, etc.,” she said.
Jarrett sees AI as the latest buzzword in what is a continuation of the machine learning and data analytics software that has been evolving in her industry for over a decade.
The technology has value, she added. Because it frees up staff time and can provide improvements that help customers in ways that sometimes people can’t.
This means hoteliers will use AI, but she emphasized that technology will not replace humans.
“We are in the talent business,” says Jarrett.
“[Guests] There is still a need for service, and a person must provide that service. ”
She believes AI can help make operations more efficient when planning events such as banquets for 200 people.
“We can analyze who is in this group and predict how many vegetarians we have,” she said.
As a result, hotels may be able to better assess the number of servers they need, while reducing food waste and providing better service.
Her industry is in the early stages of adopting AI platforms, and hoteliers want to understand more about how AI can benefit them, she said.
Her organization will host its first summit in three years in Kelowna on May 1 and 2.
Keynote speaker Ken Patel, Founder and CEO of EV Hotels, will discuss the potential of AI in the sector and how smart devices can assist in creating a luxurious guest experience.
gkorstrom@biv.com
