Just as Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) have reshaped their respective industries, a new “as a Service” model is emerging in travel and tourism. doing.
This tourism-as-a-service concept aims to redefine connected travel, leveraging the potential of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain to Streamline every aspect of your trip, from accommodation to transportation.
The concept streamlines the travel experience by integrating services that typically span different tools and platforms, such as ticketing for public transport and attractions, route planning, and access to related information, making it convenient and hassle-free. This is highly appealing to today's consumers who seek a hassle-free experience. .
One company embracing this trend is Addentax. Earlier this month, the company announced Tourism platform as a service with AI and blockchain tools.
The solution was launched in collaboration with blockchain service provider Shenzhen Tamil Culture and Tourism Development and aims to streamline domestic and international pan-entertainment and tourism services for Chinese travelers.
In a Feb. 6 article, Adentax Chairman and CEO Hong Jida said, “Our AI and blockchain tools are being leveraged in a pan-entertainment platform for tourism-as-a-service. I'm very happy to see it.” press release. “We hope that more AI technology research and development will lead to real-world applications and usage.”
The news comes within a broader context of increased adoption of advanced technology as part of efforts to accelerate the travel industry's digital transformation.
For example, European hospitality providers Accor We recently introduced an AI-powered travel assistant. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Built-in machine learning and AI capabilities and an intuitive conversational interface.
Essentially, the assistant learns guests' preferences to cater to the needs of travelers, including those who combine work and leisure travel, commonly referred to as “multimodal” travelers.
“Accor's new Travel Assistant helps guests find the best experiences depending on their preferred travel style, transforming the entire booking process from inspiration to post-stay,” AWS said. press release “This technology will streamline the reservation process to just a few minutes,” it added at the time.
AI turns apps into agents
These efforts align with insights from PYMNTS Intelligence. the study This shows the growing interest in AI-driven experiences, including travel. especially, Approximately 63% of consumers They expressed their enthusiasm for AI-powered travel experiences, further highlighting the demand for innovative technology solutions in this field.
Further reinforcing this trend, another PYMNTS Intelligence-Ingo Payments study found: 16% jump Number of consumers who searched for online travel information and purchased airline tickets digitally in the past year.
In response to this trend, companies are implementing increasingly advanced technologies. digital trip planning tools To meet consumer needs. For example, TripAdvisor has adopted his OpenAI's generative AI technology to create customized travel itineraries, and his travel marketplace Mondee has announced an integration with its mobile-centric generative AI platform.
This trend has led to investments in AI-driven travel initiatives like Airbnb's recent one. acquisition Last November, it acquired AI startup GamePlanner.AI for $200 million.
That same month, Airbnb's CEO spoke with investors on the phone about the company's third-quarter earnings. Brian Chesky GenAI improves your travel experience and makes your app “ultimate travel agency” to the user.
This includes addressing common travel challenges such as language barriers between hosts and guests, differences in cross-border policies, and lack of traditional front desk support.
By integrating AI, Chesky said, “agents will be able to direct models that can derive better solutions in seconds and provide front-desk-level support in almost any community around the world.” I did.
