Artificial intelligence (AI), massive information, and different applied sciences that stand to alter the way in which the world travels are among the many scorching matters for dialogue at this yr’s ITB Asia which opens on Wednesday, fifteenth October, in Singapore.
For this purpose, we at Travel Daily Media had the chance to talk to Andrew Smith, senior vice-president of provide at world on-line journey platform Agoda, who shared some contemporary insights on how these applied sciences are shaping the modern journey and tourism sectors.
Smith identified the methods by which Agoda has used expertise to its benefit, serving as instruments with which to craft a greater, extra environment friendly, and extra partaking on-line expertise for its prospects.
In the start
As Smith remembers: “At Agoda, we approached AI by asking a very simple question: what real problems can this solve for travelers and partners today? A few concrete points guided us before rolling anything out.”
These touchpoints included the next:
- Pain factors first, expertise second: The firm targeted on areas the place prospects or companions felt friction: significantly discovering the suitable lodge in seconds, resolving frequent reserving points, or serving to a small lodge handle pricing and content material with out additional employees;
- Internal utilization earlier than exterior supply: To get issues began, Agoda initially used AI to make its personal groups extra productive. Among the measures concerned had been the shift from guide to automated reporting, the event of speedy creatives for social media, in addition to sooner inside escalation flows in order that the platform might ship higher outcomes to vacationers and companions sooner;
- Empowering companions: It is just about a on condition that accommodations and property managers, particularly smaller independents, don’t at all times have advertising and marketing groups or information science assets. Smith stated: “We considered how AI could level the playing field, making it easier for them to promote themselves, optimize pricing, and reach new demand;” and
- Scalability: AI can’t simply be a demo characteristic, so to talk; therefore, Agoda prioritised use circumstances that might work throughout tens of millions of travellers and tens of 1000’s of companions, stepping into relevant real-world situations versus the managed surroundings of a testing lab.
As Smith places it: “The outcome is that AI is embedded into our business with practical use cases that show immediate value. It simplifies how partners work with us and makes travel planning more fun and less stressful for customers.”
Does expertise matter relating to personalisation?
Of late, we now have seen the time period personalisation banded round with AI and different applied sciences beneath dialogue, particularly within the context of hospitality.
We have seen how main lodge chains and even some smaller teams use modern applied sciences to find out the place they’ll enhance general customer support, provide a greater visitor expertise, and guarantee repeat bookings for the longer term.
Smith stated of the applying of AI and comparable improvements in hospitality: “AI is rapidly transforming hospitality, with adoption and investment across the industry projected to grow significantly in the coming years. At Agoda, we see AI as a tool to personalize travel in two ways: creating better experiences for travelers and helping partners attract even more guests.”
He went on to level out that AI is a robust equaliser, significantly amongst Agoda’s rising quantity of world companions.
According to Smith: “Hotels and tour operators, regardless of size, can now compete more effectively by leveraging AI-driven tools, enabling them to attract travelers at the right moment in their search journey.”
He cited how companions can generate tailor-made content material robotically for his or her particular properties, highlighting search parameters like family-friendly close to Disneyland for one section and romantic Left Bank escape to a different, all on high of a plethora of segmentations with little effort.
Smith added: “What’s more, AI is unlocking the potential for smart pricing and promotions, with Deloitte reporting that AI-powered dynamic pricing in hospitality can improve revenue per available room (RevPAR) by up to ten percent.”
While that’s all effectively and good for hospitality corporations, would AI have any important profit to the bizarre traveller?
For Smith, the easy reply is sure.
He explains: “For travelers AI enables a more intuitive and relevant discovery process. Rather than relying solely on simple filters like price or location, at Agoda we leverage AI to surface options that align with each traveler’s unique preferences and past behaviors. For example, a traveler searching for Tokyo may see a capsule hotel for a solo trip, a boutique hotel near Shibuya shops and nightlife for a couple, or a family suite close to Ueno Zoo for parents traveling with kids.”
Even after the journey or lodge has been booked, AI can anticipate the wants of particular person travellers all through their journey.
AI can generate related options for these on tour or considering any actions on their slate based mostly on pursuits in addition to information from earlier journeys.
In doing so, the general expertise turns into deeply private for travellers, primarily enabling them to place their very own stamp on each expertise.
Smith opined: “Looking ahead, the real opportunity lies in translating the power of AI-driven personalization into engaging and intuitive experiences for both travelers and partners. Our focus is on ensuring that every interaction feels relevant and effortless, so travelers discover options that truly resonate with them, and partners see stronger conversion and more bookings.”
Tread fastidiously: expertise and cultural sensitivity
Cultural sensitivity is a severe touchpoint in the intervening time for the worldwide journey and tourism sectors, particularly within the context of overtourism and the disrespectful means that some travellers have been behaving in varied components of the world.
In which case, how can synthetic intelligence change the sport relating to growing extra culturally numerous choices with out being offensive to native sensibilities or diluting the deserves of native tradition?
Smith replied that, for Agoda, AI has the potential to strengthen localisation, making cultural relevance simpler to realize at scale.
But he was additionally fast to level out that AI is strongest when it enhances, fairly than overshadows, native traditions and experiences and when its software is guided by human judgement.
As he explains: “For travellers, AI allows us to surface options and guidance that align with local customs and etiquette. For instance, travelers booking a stay in Japan might receive suggestions for ryokans with private onsen baths, while those heading to Bali could be prompted about temple dress codes. Agoda’s multilingual AI tools localize both tone and content: a deal described as ‘awesome’ in English becomes ‘great value’ in Japanese, reflecting cultural communication norms. This approach has helped Agoda maintain over 40 active language sites, each tuned to local tone and nuance rather than literal translation.”
On the opposite hand AI empowers Agoda’s lodge companions to precise their identification authentically to a worldwide viewers.
For instance: a Thai boutique resort can robotically translate its itemizing into Korean or Arabic with out dropping the heat of Thai hospitality.
AI may detect cultural mismatches from visitor opinions with a purpose to immediate clearer explanations in future listings.
Across areas, AI helps companions perceive demand patterns: breakfast-inclusive stays in Japan, for instance; or flexibility in Australia; even family-friendly choices within the Middle East.
Such insights result in the event of extra related and interesting provides with out diluting cultural distinction.
Smith opines:”Ultimately, AI helps journey develop into extra respectful, as travellers interact with native cultures extra thoughtfully, and companions can showcase what makes them distinctive to a worldwide viewers.”
Technology = streamlined service
Within the Agoda expertise, AI and different applied sciences have been a fantastic assist for streamlining operations, significantly customer support.
According to Smith: “AI plays an important role in assisting much of our frontline support. For example, our Property Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) Bot provides travelers with instant, reliable information about hotels and amenities directly on property pages across desktop, mobile, and app. Since its launch, the bot has handled over 30,000 hotel-related questions daily, reducing uncertainty and helping travelers make quicker booking decisions. For more routine support needs, our virtual assistant handles increasing amounts of requests monthly, resolving common issues such as date changes, refund eligibility, or booking confirmations in seconds. When an issue is complex, AI routes it to the right human team with full context, so customers don’t need to repeat themselves. This has reduced response and resolution times while improving satisfaction.”
Indeed, AI has considerably improved how Agoda helps its lodge companions each day, and the creation of a digital assistant on its YCS companion platform has made it simpler to satisfy very important wants.
To date, Agoda is within the course of of increasing its related investments in expertise to increase protection and provide options in additional languages.
It needs to be famous at this level that one of the extra complicated and time-sensitive help points is utilizing expertise to take care of is cost re-issuance.
To date, Agoda has absolutely automated associated processes, leading to faster response time and improved satisfaction.
Smith remembers: “Even for internal support we used to deal with over 40different internal flows for escalation which is now replaced by a single AI workflow ultimately benefiting our partners and customers. We’re still learning and improving. Some partner or traveler situations require emotional intelligence or nuanced negotiation, areas where human empathy remains irreplaceable. Our focus now is refining AI’s ability to detect when to escalate to a human early, ensuring we balance speed with sensitivity.”
Looking to the longer term
For Smith, Agoda’s course with regard to the use of AI and different applied sciences is obvious: Agoda is constructing towards an much more linked journey expertise powered by AI.
He stated: “The next stage of travel innovation isn’t just about showing the right hotel or flight. It’s about having an assistant that understands context and timing, suggesting a room upgrade when it makes sense, helping you rebook automatically if your flight is delayed, or recommending a great local restaurant once you’ve checked in. all without you needing to ask.”
The software of such applied sciences will be certain that journeys really feel proactive and private for travellers anyplace.
For companions, however, it’ll result in improved demand prediction, smarter merchandising, together with a bunch of methods with which to interact company all through their stays.
Smith concluded by saying: “We’re deeply focused on responsible innovation. AI can only succeed if customers and partners trust how it’s used. So, our approach is to innovate quickly but deploy carefully. In short, we’re aiming for the kind of travel experience that feels effortless end to end: intelligent, human, and connected.”
Agoda’s Andrew Smith shall be main the ITB Asia session Real World Applications of AI and Strategies for Hotels on Thursday, sixteenth October, at 1:30pm SGT on the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Singapore.
To know extra concerning the upcoming dialogue, click on here.
