The development of sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) is affecting many sectors of the travel industry, and the Caribbean is no exception. To maximize AI’s potential benefits for the region, the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) has released a new guide that serves as a playbook for tourism organizations, hoteliers and other suppliers.
“Artificial Intelligence Transformation Guide for Caribbean Tourism” — described by the CHTA as “the first guidebook of its kind released by any regional hotel and tourism association,” was written by tech expert Christus Gill with AI support. It’s the result of a collaboration among members of the CHTA Technology Task Force.
The timing for this new guide is ideal, according to Sanovnik Destang, executive director of Bay Gardens Resorts in St. Lucia and president-elect of the CHTA and chair of the organization’s Technology Task Force.
"Coming out of the pandemic, it’s clear that the Caribbean has recovered faster than other parts of the world and is, in fact, in growth mode,” Destang said. “However, our ability to sustain this recovery and grow market share is in part dependent on how we use technology to our advantage. The rapid development of generative AI, in particular, will have a tremendous impact on technological advancement in our industry.”
The timing of the guidebook launch — just as the CHTA announced a rebranding that includes a new logo and revamped website — was “not intentional but also not coincidental,” Destang said.
"We are at a turning point in Caribbean tourism — and, by extension, at CHTA — that requires new, bolder thinking, which the new branding reflects,” he said.
Exploring the Potential of AI in the Caribbean
The Caribbean’s tourism sector is using AI at rates that are similar to other parts of the world, says Destang of Bay Gardens Resorts — but he’d like to see that change. Based on a recent CHTA survey, AI adoption is at about 33%, with another 30% thinking about using it and the rest having no intention of using it, he says.
"This is actually likely in line with the rest of the world at this point, and with the right education and awareness, we can move the needle — perhaps even move ahead of other parts of the world,” Destang said. “But we need to act now and lead for once, not follow.”
He's already seeing effective usage of AI on several fronts.
"Forward-thinking hotels and destinations are using it to generate ideas, social media captions, blogs and, indeed, entire marketing campaigns,” he said. “It's already saving us a lot of time at our hotels and allowing us to focus on the bigger picture. AI is also going to have a major impact on search results and SEO. People will be searching less and ‘conversing’ more with search engines, and we need to be ready to ensure they find the information they are looking for on our hotels and DMO sites to encourage more direct bookings.”
Interacting with users through CHIME has been like looking through a window to understand potential first-time visitors' primary questions about Puerto Rico.
To make it easier for destinations and suppliers to learn from each other, the CHTA Technology Task Force is in the process of documenting best practices and will include those in a future edition of the AI guidebook.
For now, several examples show AI’s potential for the region.
Bay Gardens Resorts, for one, is using AI for marketing, improving HR practices, developing training materials from scratch, reorganizing departments for efficiency and improving food and beverage offerings and more, Destang says.
"We also have launched an AI-powered chatbot on our website that does our live chats for us and can even provide live quotes,” he said.
Among the destinations making use of AI is the Aruba Tourism Authority, which recently introduced myAruba Assistant, an AI-powered resource accessible via the organization’s website and messaging service WhatsApp.
Discover Puerto Rico, meanwhile, has partnered with travel advertising network Clicktripz to launch CHIME, an AI-powered digital advertising chatbot.
"This conversational advertisement allows us to engage with travelers in real time, turning their questions into travel inspiration and bookings,” said Dalissa Zeda-Sanchez, digital marketing director for Discover Puerto Rico. “Our strategy focuses on using AI to enhance consumer engagement and drive traffic to our website by providing personalized and interactive experiences. Interacting with users through CHIME has been like looking through a window to understand potential first-time visitors' primary questions about Puerto Rico."
These insights have been invaluable in tailoring Discover Puerto Rico’s marketing strategies and improving how it addresses visitor needs, she says.
“In the coming years, we envision AI playing a crucial role in personalizing content, predicting travel trends and providing real-time insights, thereby significantly boosting tourism and hospitality promotion in the Caribbean,” Zeda-Sanchez said.
Benefits for Travel Agencies
Travel advisors can also benefit from AI in a variety of ways, according to Zeda-Sanchez of Discover Puerto Rico.
"With the increased use of AI, travel advisors can expect more personalized and data-driven promotional materials,” she said. “These will include insights derived from real-time consumer interactions and preferences, enabling advisors to tailor their offerings more effectively and meet the specific needs of their clients.”
By leveraging AI, destinations, hoteliers, and suppliers can create more effective and engaging promotional materials.
Indeed, AI presents a significant opportunity for travel advisors by offering enhanced tools for personalization and customer engagement, she says. As more advisors use AI, they can leverage its capabilities to provide more accurate travel recommendations, streamline their marketing efforts and ultimately increase bookings. Over time, AI-driven insights can also help advisors stay ahead of trends.
Destang agrees about the advantages AI offers for destinations, suppliers and travel advisors.
"By leveraging AI, destinations, hoteliers and suppliers can create more effective and engaging promotional materials,” he said. “At the same time, travel advisors can benefit from enhanced tools and insights that help them better serve their clients and boost sales.”
