Artificial Intelligence in the tourism industry is bringing a wave of innovation, creating unexpected opportunities and benefits for both travelers and businesses. AI applications are not just supporting tools, but they have promoted convenience and created unique travel experiences. From tourism departments to resorts and hotels, everyone is stepping up to innovate to take advantage of the great benefits that AI in the travel and tourism industry brings.

The Role of AI in the Tourism Industry

The ability of artificial intelligence to perform tasks that traditionally require human cognitive functions has made it particularly useful for those in the travel industry, as implementing AI can save businesses time and money, while also potentially eliminating human error and allowing tasks to be performed quickly at any time of day.

Most hotels and resorts rely heavily on providing excellent customer service to build their reputation, and AI technology can help with this in a variety of ways. For example, AI can improve personalization, make tailored recommendations, and ensure fast response times, even when staff are not present.

Artificial intelligence has advanced to the point where it is regularly used to assist and communicate with customers, ‘learning’ from each of these interactions and improving future interactions. Furthermore, AI can assist with tasks such as data analysis, computation and problem solving, which can be valuable to hoteliers.

Applications of artificial intelligence (AI) Applications of AI in the tourism industry HUUK.AI Smart Travel

HUUK.AI Smart Travel - HUUK.AI's smart travel platform that helps manage, operate, explore and exploit tourism is considered a platform that can support the tourism industry to make a breakthrough in the future.

The application is a digital technology solution in the tourism sector with the purpose of promoting tourism images, supporting tourists in the process of exploring tourist destinations and enhancing their travel experience.

HUUK.AI Smart Travel integrates many modern technology platforms such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), data digitization, integrated shopping and online ordering functions and many other technology platforms for managers, tourism businesses and tourists.

Accordingly, the platform provides useful information, great interactive experiences thanks to modern AR/VR technology as well as a diverse network of tourism services and objective reviews for tourists.

HUUK.AI Smart Travel provides introductory information in text, audio, images, and videos about attractive tourist destinations in Vietnam through an easy map/search interface. At each location, tourists can choose to experience images at the location through VR/AR technology, helping tourists have a more intuitive view of that destination.

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Specifically, visitors can fully explore the Virtual Tour before arriving at tourist destinations through 360 o photo technology  designed and arranged exactly like a real tour. Smart Travel also helps digitize data about tourist destinations, supporting visitors' real experiences when visiting by identifying and displaying detailed information about landmarks, geographical locations and historical values ​​of artifacts and objects at tourist destinations.

At the same time, the tourism ecosystem provides information and supports tourists in searching for tourism-related services such as accommodation facilities, tourist attractions, transportation units, restaurants, entertainment venues, shopping locations, etc.

In particular, based on big data analysis technology, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), the application can analyze customer behavior and suggest suitable destinations, optimizing customer experience.

In the context of Vietnam reopening to international tourism, this application also has the function of supporting entry declaration for tourists after getting off the plane, helping reporting and statistics to be digitized and managed more easily with a multilingual support design including Vietnamese, English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, French, etc.

Another very important utility for tourists is the integration of maps, searching for locations online and automatically downloading offline in case tourists cannot access the Internet. In addition, HUUK.AI Smart Travel also provides review and evaluation features for locations and services to help tourists easily choose services as well as suppliers to upgrade their service quality.

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In particular, for management agencies, this platform provides an effective management tool with statistical and reporting functions on popular locations, the number of tourists and the number of people interacting with the location, comments and reviews of tourists, from which State management agencies can plan appropriate policies to support the development of the tourism industry.

In the future, HUUK.AI's Smart Travel also promises to help optimize tourist experiences before, during and after the trip, innovate destination management methods, combine digital sharing and enrich destination data, and enhance and promote heritage - cultural - historical values.

Below are some benefits that AI technology brings to the tourism industry in general and HUUK.AI Smart Travel in particular.

1. Chatbots and Online Customer Service

For hotels and other businesses in the travel industry, one of the most exciting applications of artificial intelligence is online customer support. In particular, there has been widespread adoption for purposes of powering chatbots on social media platforms, as well as instant messaging apps.

Used in this way, AI can answer questions and provide valuable information to customers, even when there is no customer service representative present. Customers are demanding faster and faster response times on online platforms, and AI allows businesses to deliver in a time that humans simply cannot.

2. Direct customer service

While using artificial intelligence to assist with online customer service is fairly common today, one of the emerging trends is using the technology to interact directly with customer service. This can cut down on queues at information desks or reception desks and improve overall efficiency.

An example of this technology in action is the AI ​​robot 'Connie', deployed by Hilton Hotels. The robot uses artificial intelligence and voice recognition to provide tourist information to customers who talk to it. Every human interaction also helps teach the robot, improving the quality of all future interactions.

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3. Data processing and data analysis

You must understand that the applications of AI in the travel and tourism industry are not limited to customer service. One of its most common and effective applications is collecting and interpreting data to draw conclusions about customers, business practices, and pricing strategies.

The main advantage of AI in the travel and tourism industry is its ability to sort through huge amounts of data quickly and accurately. In contrast, it would take humans much longer and be more prone to errors to do this. For example, the Dorchester Collection hotel used AI to sort through customer feedback from online surveys, reviews, and polls to build a clearer picture of current sentiment in real time.

4. Voice-based digital assistance

One emerging use of AI in the travel and tourism industry involves providing voice-based digital assistance in many forms. For example, it is now possible to provide voice assistants in hotel rooms, allowing guests to ask questions or make requests and receive immediate responses.

Voice recognition technology opens up the potential for voice-controlled room control and instant 24/7 access to travel information. Robots can also provide voice-based digital support, meaning customer service desks can be left unstaffed, especially during off-peak times.

5. Flight forecast

The use of AI in the travel and tourism industry is also increasingly influencing flight forecasting. This discipline relies on existing data and historical flight data. Artificial intelligence can be invaluable in analyzing huge amounts of data and identifying relevant trends.

Based on this data, AI-powered software can use weather patterns, historical flight times, and trends related to flight speeds to accurately predict when flights will arrive and how long delays may occur. As a result, software users can benefit from access to more accurate and reliable forecasts.

6. Social media channel analysis

Artificial intelligence in the travel and tourism industry also has an important role to play when it comes to social media. In particular, businesses in the industry can use AI in the travel and tourism industry to better understand how users interact with their social media channels and what those users are saying.

Some social media channels attract so many interactions every day that it is almost impossible to monitor and analyze them manually. With artificial intelligence, key trends can be identified, the most common sentiments can be understood. Companies can gain a better understanding of their audience.

7. Flexible pricing

Many businesses in the travel and tourism industry operate on a dynamic pricing model based on current demand and availability. This applies to hotels, airlines, and many other types of businesses, and AI in the travel and tourism industry can play a key role in optimizing such strategies.

With AI’s ability to quickly sort and analyze data, it becomes significantly easier to adjust prices intelligently and ensure that prices are set appropriately. Prices can often be set higher during times of high demand than during times of low demand, but there are other factors that AI can use to make intelligent calculations.

8. Smart baggage handling

The use of AI in the travel and tourism industry also extends to baggage handling and security. AI can be used to sort baggage more efficiently, reducing errors that lead to lost baggage. Additionally, AI can help sort unclaimed or lost baggage.

AI technology can also be deployed for security purposes. For example, when airport security systems scan luggage, AI can automatically scan the image and detect items of interest. An alert system can then be set up, drawing the attention of security personnel if something suspicious is detected.

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9. AI Facial Recognition

Artificial intelligence is the underlying technology behind automated facial recognition. It essentially compares real-time images with images in a database, using facial features to identify individuals. The best facial recognition technology can identify individuals within seconds.

Facial recognition using AI in the travel and tourism industry is often deployed for security purposes. For example, in airports it can be used to detect people of interest. In some cases, facial recognition can also be used to determine how many people are in a particular area, which can also be valuable for safety and security.

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