MMGY Travel Intelligence’s new study, Emerging Technologies in Travel & Tourism, finds that two out of three travelers have used some kind of emerging technology when traveling in the past year.
These consumers believe that the internet of things (47%), virtual assistants (41%) and virtual reality (17%) have the biggest potential to improve the travel experience in the next five years. But, they are wary of generative artificial intelligence (AI), believing its adoption might lead to a homogenous trip.
Our Analysis: Travelers Don’t Want Generic Trips — And That’s Where a Human Travel Advisor Wins Out
While there is a lot of hoopla about the potential capacity of generative AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, to replace a human travel advisor, it’s clear that travelers understand the shortcomings of the technology — namely, that it produces basic recommendations and identical itineraries.
Travelers also noted that learning a new technology could be cumbersome and suck the joy out of the travel-planning experience. Plus, generative AI’s reputation for dolling out erroneous information doesn’t exactly lend itself to creating a seamless travel experience. When discussing the value of using a human travel advisor, stress to clients your unique ability to customize a seamless vacation that meets their specific needs and interests.
Having a clear understanding of these perspectives, concerns and potential barriers will be important for travel industry executives who expect to introduce new technologies successfully in the years ahead.
Fast Facts: Unlike Travelers, Destination Marketers Are Most Excited About Generative AI
- MMGY’s online survey included 1,000 U.S. adult travelers and more than 100 leaders from destination marketing organizations (DMOs).
- Unlike travelers, destination marketers are most excited about generative artificial intelligence (70%), followed by virtual assistants (32%) and augmented reality (31%).
- Travelers are highly concerned about the privacy and security of their personal information when it comes to using these new technologies.
- Three out of every four travelers surveyed express concern about protecting their personal data and privacy in relation to using new technology.
What They’re Saying: Travel Industry Executives Should Consider These Perspectives as They Integrate Emerging Technology
“What’s fascinating to me is what we learned about the concerns travelers have about emerging technologies, and how they will impact their travel experiences in the coming years,” said Chris Davidson, executive vice president of MMGY Travel Intelligence. “Having a clear understanding of these perspectives, concerns and potential barriers will be important for travel industry executives who expect to introduce new technologies successfully in the years ahead."
“Data compliance changes are going to come fast and will have broad implications in how we collect, manage and utilize data,” said Robert Patterson, senior vice president of marketing technology for MMGY. “DMOs should be hypervigilant of this concern, whether they’re confident in their ability to conform to data regulations or not.”
