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 

Tourism to South Africa bouncing back in style

International tourist arrivals to South Africa are booming - and are close to returning to pre-Covid numbers.

International tourist arrivals from January to November 2023 totalled 7.6 million, representing a remarkable 51.8% increase when compared with same period in 2022.

While recovery towards pre-Covid-19 numbers is encouraging, this performance remains 17.6% lower compared to the same period in 2019.

South African Tourism reports: "South Africa remains an attractive destination, for both domestic and international travellers. The numbers show that the tourism sector is successfully driving travel to South Africa while shaping cultural exchanges and contributing to inclusive economic growth."

Arrivals from other countries in Africa numbered 5.8 million visitors, a significant 75.5% of all arrivals.

“I am so pleased by these numbers from the rest of the African continent," says Minister of Tourism Patricia De Lille.

With 1.1 million tourist arrivals, Europe contributed to 14.6% of the total arrivals during the first eleven months of 2023.

This marks a 43.2% increase when compared to the same period last year. The UK remains the top European source market ahead of Germany.

“Europe continues to show strong growth and recovery when compared to the same period in 2022. Notably, the Netherlands has achieved 90% of 2019 arrivals, solidifying their position as the fourth largest international market behind the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Germany," says de Lille.

"This recovery can be attributed to consistent efforts to showcase South Africa as a welcoming, responsible tourism destination, highlighting experiences that align with intrepid, green economy conscious travellers.

“It is evident that our country remains attractive and that more can be unlocked with more policy and regulation revisions. I am committed to working with all partners and government colleagues to unlock barriers such as visa regulations, safety concerns and limited air access and air lift, so that we can grow our sector and meaningfully contribute to our country’s economy."

See https://www.southafrica.net

Images: Table Mountain, Cape Town (top), Soweto (middle)