Simplifying Complexities of Travel and Hospitality with AI and ML

Travel & Hospitality Tech Outlook | Wednesday, July 31, 2019

The travel industry, although being technologically advanced, it lacks in many areas. With AI and ML, the sector can slingshot to a level where the ideal services can be provided to the customers.

FREMONT, CA: The world is more connected than ever, and the accessibility to travel content and booking is easier than ever before, with approximately over a million destinations worldwide that people are actively looking to visit. There are also roughly 10 or more ways a traveler can describe the accommodation preference—from motels and hotels to Bed and Breakfasts, apartments, tents, or even tree-houses! Adding in the qualifying terms of amenities that travelers typically search for, such as family-friendly, ocean view, or buffet breakfast, and the user ends up with more than two billion search combinations. That only graces the surface because there are even more combinations that aren’t explicitly known—yet.

Artificial intelligence recently achieved a new milestone when it finally beat a human professional player at chess for the first time without a handicap. In other terms, the intuition of AI reached the ability to outpace the human mind; and this was a few years ago.

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When it comes to navigating a much connected, more technologically advanced, and therefore the increasingly complex ecosystem, but, the opportunity for the tourism industry is limitless. And one of the solutions to putting the sector in the hyperdrive is by leveraging data and technology.

As the online travel industry becomes more advanced, it’s crucial to understand the scope presented by data and technology to help the players in the industry to navigate forward. For instance, machine learning, which is a powerful and positive disruptor within the industry, can help solve industry challenges. It can also enable the power of global travel technology platforms into the helm of lodging players of all sizes.

Machine learning enables accommodation players to develop into a better and smarter entity while interacting with travelers and optimize the property’s performance. Through machine learning, predicting trends in the market is amplified and enables a more precise personalization. From revenue management to assisting hotels for better understanding its competitive market, machine learning has been a savior for lodging partners in the process of reducing operational expenses and maximizing revenues by forecasting demand for the inventory.

In the future, the extension of machine learning with AI will provide lodging partners the provision of available tools and actionable insights that are optimal for best results to drive the business. The great news is that the wait will not be so long as the AI-driven solutions will be made available soon.

In this world where technology is ever-changing at the speed of lightning, it is no doubt becoming a more and more challenging feat to enhance the hotel distribution around the globe. The industry is evolving rapidly, but not a single part of the travel ecosystem holds the answers to kick the travel industry into hyperdrive alone.

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