Companies in the Caribbean tourism industry are already starting to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize service and product delivery to customers.
Jeff Wellmeyer, technology entrepreneur and chairman of Hodges Bay Resort and Spa, said today during a panel at the University of the West Indies' Five Island Campus Caribbean 2024 AI conference that the resort is using generative AI technology to give guests a comfortable experience as they enjoy all the property has to offer.
“We have a bar on the beach in Hodges Bay and there are always arguments about what music they're playing and how loud it is, so we have an AI that takes pictures from security cameras every minute, uploads them and determines how many people are in the bar. If more people come, we adjust the music and volume accordingly,” Wellmeyer said.
Dr. Luz LongworthThe senior corporate director of Sandals Corporate University said the resort is using generative AI and e-learning tools to help train employees. The company's 18,500 team members are spread across resorts in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia, the Bahamas, Grenada, Barbados, Curacao, the Turks and Caicos Islands and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Tourism Minister Charles Fernandes said at a panel titled:“Unleashing Tourism's Potential: Transforming Experiences with Generative AI and Technology 5.0 Innovations” Antigua and Barbuda can leverage generative AI to improve visitor experiences on the island.
He suggested using AI to monitor visitor arrivals.
“One of the problems we've faced in Antigua, and probably in many other countries too, is the over-tourism aspect. So we need to find out, for example, where the breaking point is.
“For example, on cruise ship days, which is the peak of the season, traffic is high. So you create all kinds of bottlenecks. And the last thing we want is for residents to start saying, 'This is too much hassle. It's a nuisance.' Then we lose all that warmth and hospitable aspect that we're known for. So we could use AI, for example, in collaboration with the police, to generate the best route to get from the airport to the hotel to reduce the time.”
Fernandez, Longworth and Wellmeyer agreed that generative AI has great potential for the industry and should be explored further as the technology develops.
