AI-savvy tourists are the future; Industry must brace up: KTM seminar
Kochi, Sep. 28
As young tourists increasingly rely on artificial intelligence, stakeholders in the tourism sector must gain expertise in the emerging technology for their business to sustain, a seminar at Kerala Travel Mart 2024 noted today.
Department of Industries Principal Secretary A P M Mohammed Hanish addresses a seminar on ‘Application of AI in Tourism Industry’ at Kerala Travel Mart 2024 in Kochi on September 28, Saturday. Others seen are KTM Seminar Committee Vice-Chairperson Nirmala Lilly, moderator Anish Kumar P.K of Travel Planners, IBM Gen AI Consulting Partner Shamidra Basu, KTM Seminar Committee Chairman Riaz Ahmed and KTM Society President Jose Pradeep.
The new generation that uses state-of-the-art technologies holds the future of tourism, as these teenagers tend to employ personalized and experiential tourism destinations with language assistance and intelligent virtual assistants, speakers noted at the session on ‘Application of AI in Tourism Industry’.
Mr. A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, pointed out that season planning, event planning and video analysis ensure the trustworthiness of latest technologies. In this context, he said youngsters are mostly acquainted with these.
“AR-VR technology can fetch historical monuments and cultural centers more viewers. Trekking and underwater viewing, too, can be enjoyed by people of all ages,” the top bureaucrat said at the 90-minute symposium on the third day of the September 26-29 event being organized in the city by the Kerala Travel Mart Society.
To check fraudulence through the use of AI is a challenge, Mr Hanish noted, but pointed out that the new technology can help the tourism industry reduce revenue loss incurred through inventory and revenue management. “Kerala should significantly increase the number of smart tourism destinations,” he added.
IBM Gen AI Consulting Partner Mr Shamindra Basu said adoption of AI technology by tourism consumers “is a fact whether or not the industry likes it”. To him, AI will not lead to loss of jobs, but it can replace those less competent in the technology with the proficient.
AI usage in India is twice the global average, while the country stands second in the world in using AI tools, the expert revealed.
Pointing to the need for the AI boom to translate into the growth of the tourism sector, Mr Basu emphasized the “key role” of accurate data analysis. “Using AI, we must analyse every change in travel behavior of tourists. For this, getting reliable data is critical and challenging,” he said, calling for the tourism industry to hold discussions in the matter.
Noting that the foundational AI model will propel productivity, Mr Basu called for reduced training time of employees, enhancement of skill capacity and popularization of knowledge.
Travel Planners CEO Mr Anish Kumar P.K. was the moderator. Also present were KTM President Jose Pradeep, Seminar Committee Chairman Riaz Ahmed and Vice-Chairperson Ms Nirmala Lilly.