culture
Chatbots, robots and other cutting-edge technologies are transforming the tourism industry. What does the future hold?
Jonas Martini | April 13, 2023
Ask ChatGPT to recommend places in Mallorca not yet overrun by tourists, and it will suggest famous attractions and traditional eateries that are featured in all travel guides. An artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot recommends visiting Palma’s cathedral, the picturesque and popular city of Soller, and the centuries-old ice cream parlor Canjoande her Saigo. In short, if you’re looking for a hidden gem off the tourist route, don’t count on ChatGPT.
“When it comes to insider tips, it usually comes down to personal preferences and experiences that I don’t have as an AI model,” ChatGPT tells us. “If you want more specific, personalized recommendations, we recommend talking to a local guide or local for insider tips.”
no silver bullet
Where ChatGPT excels, however, is in simpler, simpler queries. Ask the chatbot how to get to Piazza di Spagna in the center of Palma by bus and get a fast and accurate answer. Similarly, if you ask his ChatGPT about Sobrasada, his sausage, traditional paprika from Mallorca, you get an equally correct answer. Same goes for my question about whether tipping is customary on the island.
“It won’t be long before tourism-focused chatbots will guide you through cities,” says Wolfram Höpken, professor of business informatics at the Ravensburg Weingarten University of Applied Sciences in southern Germany. is. Not only that, but “AI applications are already quite widely used in other areas of tourism.”
AI is already pervasive
Currently, AI is mainly used to optimize company operations, but travelers are not always aware of this. For example, airlines use AI to predict how many passengers will cancel or abandon flights. Other companies use such techniques to detect fraudulent online bookings. In Venice, AI is also used for crowd management. “There are already AI applications being used by travelers, service providers, tourist destinations and online travel platforms,” he says Höpken.
Vacationers and those simply planning vacations may have encountered AI systems in other contexts as well. These days, when you contact a large tour operator, you are often contacted by his online chatbot rather than by a real person. Then there are intelligent systems, such as those used by hotel booking platforms, to present customers with offers tailored to their specific needs and preferences. Finally, robots are gradually taking over tasks once performed by hotel and restaurant staff.
But a robot that collects dirty dishes from a restaurant table and carries them to the kitchen, for example, isn’t all that sophisticated. Such robots can’t really navigate the restaurant autonomously, he says, Höpken. All this aside, not all patrons want to interact with automatons. So AI applications will be used in some areas of the tourism and hospitality sector, but not others, he said.
Don’t blindly trust ChatGPT
Höpken believes technologies such as ChatGPT will become increasingly important. Especially when it comes to tourist inquiries, an inaccurate or downright wrong chatbot response probably has less serious and dangerous consequences than in other areas. Those who follow ChatGPT’s advice about visiting the summer palace) will be disappointed as the building is not actually open to the public.
It remains to be seen whether chatbots will actually replace tried-and-tested guidebooks and human travel guides.
This article was translated from German.
