Guests at this year’s WTM Ministers’ Summit agreed that artificial intelligence (AI) can bring positive change and that the tourism industry’s voice should be heard as governments start to put guidelines and guardrails in place.
The Summit, which took place on day two of World Travel Market London, and which was run in association with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), was moderated by BBC News Chief Presenter Geeta Guru Murthy.
Jonathan Heastie, Portfolio Director, World Travel Market, set the scene in his introduction, observing that “AI has the power to transform tourism as we know it. It will enhance the experience for travellers and improve processes for businesses, but we need to think about addressing the ethical considerations.”
Ethical considerations will become more intense as AI continues to grow, and the industry is contributing to the discussion at the highest level. Natalia Bayona, Executive Director, UN Tourism, told the packed room that UN Tourism has been working with major travel businesses such as booking.com, Expedia and JTB to devise a set of AI guidelines for governments. The results will be published in January 2025.
However, creating a globally consistent regulatory landscape for AI is challenging, ministers agreed. Nikolina Brnjac from the European Parliament reminded the room that the European Union passed the AI Act this August, the world’s first-ever legal framework on AI. She said that Europe intends to be the global leader on regulating AI.
However, there are many challenges ahead when it comes the guardrails around AI, even with legislation in place. Sherif Fathy, Head of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt, pointed out that “governments hate it when they are forced to change the regulations consistently, so you need experts. You will need technicians in the legal team to monitor the developments of AI and make sure the regulations keep changing accordingly or consequently.”
Another potential challenge was identified by Tonci Glavina, Minister for Tourism and Sport, Croatia. “To use AI properly, you need strong data,” he said, adding, “without that, it can go in the wrong direction, get out of hand.”
Glavina’s comments around data integrity apply to all sectors. Christina Garcia Frasco, Secretary of Tourism, Philippines, noted that the country had set up a centre for AI research and development earlier this year. “The focus initially is on sustainable agriculture, disaster resilience and urban planning,” she said, “all of which is linked to the continuing success of our tourism industry.”
Despite the issues, the transformative power of AI is already evident, and one recurring theme across the two-hour session was the many and varied use cases and business cases to which AI can be applied.
Julia Simpson, President and CEO, WTTC, referred to Hilton’s AI-powered “Green Breakfast Initiative” which reduced food waste by 62% across the 13 hotels that were part of the pilot. “Imagine if this became an industry standard and we could help smaller businesses adopt this too,” she said. “Just think of the impact. It can help drive the sustainable change we all need by leveraging the technology we already have available.”
Another recurring theme was the balance between AI and the human component of tourism. Sultan M Almusallam, Deputy Minister of International Affairs, Saudi Arabia, noted that the Kingdom was “still figuring out how we can use [AI]…but we have agreed one principle: digitize the necessary, humanize the unnecessary.”
He offered an example: “If you have a digitized hotel now, you won’t be able to interact with the people who are serving coffee or helping you with concierge services. Knowing the stories of people creates unforgettable experiences.”
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Other guests tended to agree, although digitisation through AI can contribute in many ways to a better experience for the traveller. Haris Theoharis, a member of the Parliament of Greece, said: “The centre of the experience is the human element, and this will never change. But today, queues are part of the experience. If we can manage them better through AI, we can remove one of the elements that have the potential actually destroy the experience.”
Other examples of how AI can help enhance the travel experience were shared by Nabeela Farida Koromah Tunis, minister of tourism for Sierra Leone. She enthused about how AI tools are already not only supporting conservation efforts at attractions such as the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary but also supporting the country’s move towards sustainable and regenerative tourism.
Her counterpart from Zimbabwe, Barbara Rowdzi, also framed AI as a tool by which the destination can preserve and enhance its tourism cornerstones – heritage and wildlife. As well as tapping AI to help conservation efforts, AI is also being used to train and educate tour guides.