The scenario is in its infancy, but we will soon arrive at an artificial intelligence capable of providing us with detailed information on the destinations to visit and of taking care of the entire process of planning a trip: from booking flights to hotels, booking restaurants, tourist experiences and, why not, also to pay.
This is what will happen in the near future and that Expedia, the booking giant, has begun experimenting with the integration of ChatGPT into its app: a test to see how users interact with the possibility of using generative artificial intelligence when it’s about planning trips.
A tool also implemented on Kayak, which is part of the Booking.com ecosystem, owned by the Expedia group, which aims to improve and speed up the booking experience by customizing it. The chatbot, available in English on iOS, can not only give advice on where to go and where to stay, but also what to see and what to do, in a perspective of 360° experience for any destination, whether it’s a city or a tourist resort .
Compared to the “old” bots, artificial intelligence offers a decidedly different experience. The use of automatic response software has never really entered into habits, while the promises of ChatGpt are decidedly different. In fact, it is possible to ask for comparisons and clarifications on destinations, details on flights and accommodations, as well as obviously possible travel experiences.
The differences between Expedia and Kayak are related to the different destination of the two portals: Kayak’s ChatGPT plugin offers consumers more conversational interactions with its search engine, while the Expedia plugin allows users to book flights, accommodation and experiences directly through the platform. It is reasonable to assume that, after piloting the plugin, other products in the group will adopt similar technology.