Travel’s ChatGPT adventure raises hopes and questions

Since the introduction of ChatGPT late last year, travel companies have been hurtling ahead to integrate generative artificial intelligence into nearly all they do.

It’s happened so quickly, there’s been no time for a formal study or survey of the tech’s effectiveness — just lots (and lots) of anecdotal evidence.

That leaves plenty of questions. Will large language models be more help to startups trying to elbow their way to bigger market shares? Or will they further entrench the largest companies? And which aspect of the business will be most affected? Marketing? Customer service? Travel planning?

A forthcoming report from Phocuswright research analysts Cathy Schetzina Walsh and Mike Coletta examines current and potential applications of generative AI through each stage of the travel cycle, from inspiration to booking and sharing, as well as promising uses in business operations. The pace at which the industry is adopting the new tech meant the authors had to work fast to keep their research from being outdated, Coletta joked.

“It was very challenging to write this report because practically every day there are more news stories or announcements that are tempting to include,” Coletta said. “When it publishes next week, it will already be slightly outdated, but it will be the most comprehensive evaluation of prospective uses of the tech I’ve seen yet.”

In the meantime, a snap poll posted recently on LinkedIn by Travel Tech Essentialist, a travel innovation platform for entrepreneurs and investors, provides an inkling of what industry insiders are thinking.

The survey found that just over half of the 70 respondents believe the tech will help level the playing field by favoring smaller companies. Yet big companies clearly have much to gain; when asked which three travel players will most benefit in the next two years, Airbnb and Google were selected by at least half of respondents, with Mircosoft, Booking.com and Hopper getting a nod from at least one-quarter.

Those same voters worry about what generative AI could mean over the next two years for online travel agencies. More than 40% singled out Expedia, Tripadvisor and Booking.com when asked to choose three companies with the most to lose.

Of course, every company that’s made use of ChatGPT and GPT-4, the newest version of OpenAI’s language model systems, believes it has its own answers. Last month PhocusWire published a “chatty dozen” list of companies that had developed tools with ChatGPT. Even more came forward after that. Here’s our latest look at how travel companies are utilizing the tech.

JellyRide

The travel experience platform bills itself as a matchmaker between local guides and agencies and adventurous travelers. It integrated ChatGPT into its platform to create an AI travel assistant designed to provide travel proposals based on users’ preferences and the context of their trip. “JellyRide makes you eager to travel,” co-founder Vedran Srhoj-Egekher said. “We want to enable every travel and adventure-seeker to find amazing and unique destinations and experiences. Our platform can be seen as a global catalog of tour providers that you can search centrally based on your preferences and contact directly to arrange your next best travel experience.”

Enso Connect

The guest experience platform for hospitality professionals announced an integration with GPT-4 to simplify guest communication, using its “EnsoAI” tool. The new integration will offer content creation in 150 languages, immediate guest communication with predicted or automated responses and streamlined workflow orchestration based on context and sentiment analysis. Enso Connect co-founder and CEO Francois Gouelo called the technology a game changer: “EnsoAI … is not just a better chatbot, it's the quickest content creator, traffic manager and onboarding tool at your team’s disposal.”

Hostaway

The all-in-one vacation rental property management software launched a ChatGPT-powered AI tool within its platform to help property managers optimize listings. The tool matches the tone and style of the listings to the operator’s brand and audience. Hostaway co-founder and COO Saber Kordestanchi said it would ease workloads for property managers while improving the quality of their listings. “We take pride in responding quickly to developments in technology and the wider travel industry,” he said. “AI is going to transform the experience of property managers as well as guests, and this is just the first of many enhancements we expect to make.”

HotelPlanner

The hotel booking platform integrated ChatGPT with its new loyalty program, which allows members to receive personalized recommendations and search and booking assistance. Anyone on the Hotelplanner site can experiment with the ChatGPT-enabled function on the search engine prior to becoming a paid member and finalizing booking. Co-founder and CIO John Prince said the move aids the company’s goal to stay ahead of the technology curve: “By integrating ChatGPT into our Hotel Buyers Club loyalty program, we’re able to offer our paid members a new level of personalized and customized service that is nearly unmatched in the industry.”

Boostly

The website design agency embedded ChatGPT into its direct booking websites so property managers can instruct the AI tool to create detailed property listings, tailored blog posts and branded website copy. “A common pain point we see again and again at Boostly is property managers who don’t have extensive writing or marketing experience yet want to write website and listing copy that converts,” company founder Mark Simpson said. “This integration represents a major step forward for our customers, as they can now leverage the power of AI to create content that drives direct bookings and maximizes revenue.”

Jurny

The hospitality tech company serving short-term rental properties integrated GPT-4 into its operating system to aid with guest management. Jurny has an AI assistant called Nia that can automate tasks and handle full conversations with guests that reflect a unique brand voice. Nia can also automate reviews, making it easier for guests to provide feedback.