Travel industry will force customers to deal with AI bots

Do you prefer to get travel advice and assistance from a human being? 

Tough luck. The travel industry has decided to save money and cut jobs, deciding that you would rather deal with AI bots. Whether you like it or not. 

Bizarrely, from online agencies to national travel boards, the travel industry is boasting that it prefers bots to humans. 

Exhibit one: Digital travel platform Agoda this week introduced the Booking Form Bot, an AI-powered chatbot designed to answer travellers' booking-related questions at the final stage of the booking journey. 

Agoda boasts that "the new tool aims to help travellers answer last-minute questions and complete their reservations with ease and confidence". Personally I would have more confidence dealing with a human, 

Internal research by Agoda found that 28% of users navigate back to the property page from the booking page to re-check trip details. Customer research revealed that the main reasons to pause or exit the booking journey are questions about promo codes, cancellation policies, and price discrepancies. 

The Booking Form Bot addresses this by providing instant, context-aware answers to questions such as "Can I cancel for free?" "Does this booking qualify for cashback?", etc. 

Just like an old-fashioned travel agent used to do - but probably with less accuracy. 

Idan Zalzberg, chief technology officer at Agoda, said: "Helping travellers stay informed at every step of their journey is central to building trust in our platform. At the booking stage, last-minute questions often arise around cancellation options or payment terms. The Booking Form Bot provides instant answers right when travellers need them, helping them book with confidence."

Agoda says it "continues to invest in AI-powered tools that make travel planning simpler, faster, and more intuitive for millions of travellers worldwide".

Exhibit Two: South African Tourism 

Travellers considering a trip to South Africa can now get expert advice from "Siyanda", a "cutting-edge" AI travel assistant that provides instant answers to any travel or tourism-related questions about the country. 

Siyanda is built on Matador Network’s industry-leading GuideGeek chat platform and is tailored to support travellers "seeking authentic, vibrant, and joy-filled journeys across South Africa. 

Because nothing says authenticity like an AI-powered bot. 

But that doesn't stop the marketing vomit. 

“South Africa has a ton of momentum as a destination,” said Matador Network CEO Ross Borden. 

"Siyanda helps travellers quickly go from being curious about South Africa to planning and booking their ideal trip to a large country full of rich cultural experiences.”

Responses are personalised and generated in real-time by AI-trained on extensive data. 

Apparently, Siyanda is also a valuable tool for travel advisors looking to deepen their knowledge and better serve their clients. 

If your travel advisor needs AI assistance it might be worth looking elsewhere. And good luck with blaming a bot when things go wrong. 

Image: Shubham Soni, Scop.io