Dawn of an AI Revolution in Travel

AI is happening, the real dawn of an era and it is moving rapidly. Here is a short article written exclusive for ET. As part of writing this article, I enjoyed playing around with several generative AI offerings and AI creative tools as part of using this new technology. I had several paper clippings from newspapers (that's when you realize the amount of coverage that has increased) and website news URL's as reference.?

Here is the published article -

https://www.sabre.com/locations/india/resources/news/dawn-of-an-ai-revolution-in-travel/

https://travel.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/technology/dawn-of-an-ai-revolution-in-travel/100789890

Enjoy the additional snippet below, I was able to generate a real travel booking in few minutes for a fictional families vacation travel booking,

Mahesh and his wife Megha have two kids - the elder boy Atarv is ten and the younger daughter Rhea is six. Mahesh and Megha were discussing where to travel and what to include in their itinerary. In the post COVID world with a lot of revenge travel, air and hotel options were booked out early, and those that were available were priced quite high. After few days of researching their trip online, they decided that they needed to seek help from the professionals.

Mahesh and Megha (M&M) contacted ‘Leisure Professional Travel Agency’ and were greeted by their Travel agent CGT. Here’s the conversation that ensued:

Agent CGT – Welcome to Leisure Travel Providers, how can I help you?

M&M – Hello, we are looking for a travel package for our family of four, some place within India and preferably a hill station.

Agent CGT - Sure, I can help you with that! Here are a few hill stations in India that offer cooler weather during the summer months:

a.???Shimla: Shimla is a popular destination for families seeking a break from the summer heat. It offers scenic views of the Himalayas, colonial architecture, and plenty of outdoor activities like hiking and skiing

b.???Darjeeling: Darjeeling is a picturesque hill station, famous for its tea plantations, scenic vistas of the Himalayas, and cultural attractions like monasteries and museums.

c.???Mussoorie: Mussoorie is known for its cool climate, scenic beauty, and colonial-era architecture. Families can enjoy hiking, nature walks, and exploring the local markets.

d.???Manali: Manali is a popular summer destination for families seeking cooler weather. It offers stunning views of the Himalayas, outdoor activities like trekking and river rafting, and cultural attractions like the Hadimba Temple and the Manu Temple.

These are just a few options, but there are many other hill stations in India to consider as well. Let me know which of these locations sound interesting to you, and I can help you find travel packages for your family.

M&M - Lets narrow it down to Shimla. Can you please share a good itinerary to cover important attractions in Shimla for 3 days?

Agent CGT - Absolutely! Shimla is a beautiful hill station and there is plenty to do here for 3 days. Here are some suggestions:

Day 1- Walk around Mall Road and explore the local markets. Visit the Christ Church, which is one of the oldest churches in India and has beautiful stained-glass windows. Take a ride on the Shimla Toy Train, which runs on a narrow-gauge railway from Shimla to Kalka.?

Day 2: Visit the Viceregal Lodge, which was the summer residence of the British viceroys. Take a trip to the Kufri Wildlife Park, which is home to a variety of animals like Himalayan black bears, snow leopards, and barking deer. Enjoy a picnic at the Green Valley, which offers scenic views of the surrounding hills and valleys.

Day 3: Visit the Jakhu Temple, which is located on a hilltop and offers panoramic views of Shimla. Take a walk through the Shimla Heritage Zone, which has many historic buildings and landmarks like the Gaiety Theatre, the Town Hall, and the Railway Board Building. Enjoy a nature walk in the Glen Forest, which is a peaceful and serene place with waterfalls, streams, and tall trees.

These are just a few suggestions, but there are many other things to see and do in Shimla. Let me know if you have any specific interests or preferences, and I can help you plan your itinerary accordingly.

M&M – That is a lovely plan. Please share some air travel options from Bengaluru to Shimla

Agent CGT - Sure, there are a few options to fly from Bengaluru to Shimla. However, please note that there are no direct flights between the two cities, so you will have to take a connecting flight via Delhi or Chandigarh. Here are some airlines that operate on this route: Air India (layover in Delhi), Indigo (layover in Delhi or Chandigarh) or Spicejet (layover in Delhi or Chandigarh).

M&M – Thanks. What would be the tentative cost for air travel and hotel stay for 3 nights?

Agent CGT - I can give you a rough estimate based on average prices for a 3-day trip for two adults and two kids:

a.???Airfare: The airfare can be in the range of INR 20,000 to INR 40,000 depending on the airline, time of booking, and availability.

b.???Hotel: The cost of hotel accommodation in Shimla can vary depending on the location, amenities, and type of hotel you choose. On average, a 4-star hotel can cost between INR 5,000 to INR 8,000 per night, and a 5-star hotel can cost upwards of INR 10,000 per night.

Overall, for a 3-day trip to Shimla for a family of four, you can expect to spend anywhere between INR 35,000 to INR 70,000 on airfare and hotel accommodation. Please note that these are rough estimates and actual costs may vary depending on the specific details of your trip.

M&M – Very helpful, thank you. Please go ahead and book this for me.?

Agent CGT – Certainly. However, I will need a few more details before I can go ahead and book your holiday.

(Agent CGT goes on to ask more specific details regarding booking preferences, and requests M&M to input payment information….5 minutes later…)

Done! Here are your PNR Details – ABC123. Your tickets have been sent to your e-mail address - M&[email protected].?

M&M – Thank you so much for helping us book our dream holiday so quickly, and for getting us the best deal!

Does not this sound like a dream experience? Won’t you love to have such an easy experience to book your annual vacation travel? Well, now you can!?

?The itinerary above was generated by a completely automated artificial intelligence chatbot, built on foundational large language models and has been fine-tuned using both supervised and reinforcement learning techniques. The entire booking was completed within a few minutes of interacting with a conversational AI Chatbot. Agent CGT is a Generative AI platform. The acronym CGT is up to your imagination.

https://www.sabre.com/locations/india/resources/news/dawn-of-an-ai-revolution-in-travel/

https://travel.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/technology/dawn-of-an-ai-revolution-in-travel/100789890