Almost two in three APAC travel leaders (61%) will focus on generative artificial intelligence in 2025 with 41 per cent of global travel companies dedicating budget and resources to this transformative tech ahead of any other technology.
A new Amadeus study found several uses for GAI algorithms, such as ChatGPT, in the travel sector, mainly focusing on customer service as previously outlined in its 2024 Travel Trends report.
These include digital assistance for travellers during booking (53%), recommendations for activities or venues (48%), content generation (47%), helping staff to better serve customers (45%) and collecting and condensing post-travel feedback (45%).
Travel leaders want this tech deployment to provide a return on investment (ROI), customer satisfaction, efficiency and productivity improvements, performance metrics (accuracy, precision and relevance) and increases in key performance indicators.
The Amadeus study identified skills and training gaps, data security and quality issues and ROI concerns as reasons for the slow rollout of artificial intelligence in the sector.
For travel advisors, it’s an opportunity to use this tech to create personalised itineraries and humanise the customer service journey to elevate the experience, highlighted at the recent Skift Global Forum.
While Aussies are still hesitant to use artificial intelligence to plan their next trip, advisors can use the tech to simplify and streamline client itineraries, using it as a scaffold to create personalised experiences and see what’s missing from the booking.
Generative AI adoption in the travel industry
Amadeus Chief Technology Officer Sylvain Roy said travel leaders were right to question the role of Generative Artificial Intelligence.
“This is a technology that has the potential to transform every facet of what we do across the travel ecosystem, significantly enhancing the passenger experience at every step of the journey,” he said.
“While technology will be a key focus for the next year, questions are rightly being asked whether Generative AI will deliver sufficient returns on investment, while talent shortages are also coming under the spotlight.
“It is crucial that we use this new technology responsibly, ensuring data security, privacy and content reliability. It is time for Generative AI to prove it can live up to the hype.”
Read the full report here.
