How to Use AI & Automation to Better Understand Your Traveler?
Andrew Mazur
Senior Business Development Manager @ DataArt | Driving Technology Transformation
On May 26, DataArt hosted a webinar, "How to Use AI & Automation to Better Understand Your Traveler," that is part of an ongoing series addressing trends, technology, and thought leadership in the travel industry. Max Zhdanov, VP, Travel, Transportation & Hospitality, moderated a fascinating discussion by a panel of industry experts on the challenges of determining traveler profiles, and the opportunities that new AI technologies offer in supporting businesses while increasing customer satisfaction. We have broken down some of the major areas debated during the webinar.
A group of travel industry insiders joined the webinar to bring more industry-related ideas and insights:
The lively discussion revolved around the ways that new AI technologies can help support businesses while increasing customer satisfaction.
Discussion Point: How Well Do We Know the Traveler?
With Covid-19-related travel restrictions being lifted in the United States and around the world, the travel industry is beginning to show signs of recovery. But how well does the industry know its travelers?
John Heimlich, VP & Chief Economist at Airlines for America, noted that current demand for air travel seems to be sustained largely by leisure travel, as people emerge from years of lockdown to reunite with family or go on vacation. This trend is reflected in the travel markets experiencing the most growth: South America, Canada, and Europe. Travel to Asian destinations, on the other hand, has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels. This is equally obvious in the fact that low-cost airlines are seeing faster recoveries in contrast to larger carriers, which continue to suffer from staffing problems and heavily rely on business travel between the United States and tech hubs in Asia. Since many corporate giants continue to allow employees to work remotely, remote meetings continue to cut into the business travel market.
"A return to office work correlates with a return to corporate bookings." - John Heimlich, VP & Chief Economist of Airlines for America.
A parallel growth curve in the hotel industry poses an interesting dilemma for?Mark Pulliam, Head of Business Development at Uniphore. "Is this growth in occupancy being driven entirely by leisure or are we seeing more business being conducted without corporate travel?" he asked. Travel distribution consultant?Gianna Rivera?sees a similar correlation. She says it is no longer clear whether travelers fit a business or leisure profile.
According to DataArt's airline industry advisor,?Stan Boyer, customers are now accustomed to bringing family along on corporate travel, but booking pairings are not set up to accommodate this trend. Hotels also have trouble adapting to this hybrid travel model, which could accommodate both the business traveler and their non-corporate companions.?However, Rivera warns that attempts to adapt to this new business-leisure traveler could let third-party providers in the ecosystem optimize the opportunity for merchandising, creating a significant challenge for hoteliers.
"The services required to keep a lobby functioning as both a lobby and a workspace change the dynamics within the hotel." - Stan Boyer, Airline Industry Advisor, DataArt.
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Discussion Point: What Tools Can You Use to Distinguish Between Business Travelers and Leisure Companions?
Implementing artificial intelligence throughout the client journey can help travel and hospitality companies have better conversations with customers.?Mark Pullam?imagines that AI could free up an agent to better focus on customer needs by taking over distracting tasks and learning more about the customer, and why they are traveling. AI can also help recommend accommodations or restaurants based on customers' needs. Similar to how live hosts were assigned to improve experiences for 'high value' guests, the vast amount of information collected on guests can now be used by a virtual host to provide that same level of personalized care for every guest. At the same time, it allows hoteliers to anticipate staffing requirements based on customer needs using these same datasets.
"There is a huge opportunity for hoteliers to use tools like this to anticipate the customer demands." - Mark Pulliam, Head of Business Development | Travel & Hospitality at Uniphore.
Discussion Point: How Can Airlines Unlock New Channels to Better Understand Their Customers Through AI?
Airlines do not currently have a way of knowing beforehand why their customers are traveling, which makes it more difficult to anticipate their needs.?John Heimlich?makes an excellent point that, as things stand, airlines can do little more than guess about those needs based on the types of ticket categories customers buy and the destinations they choose. However, there is no direct method for finding out. It is becoming harder to identify people based solely on their distribution channel. This information needs to come from the traveler directly, leading some airlines to implement automated questionnaires to get a better picture of their customers.
Stan Boyer?suggests that companies need to bring down the "walls" that have been erected as obstacles to linking travel. AI can connect travelers outside of the corporate booking tools in total privacy.
"The best way for airlines to understand their customers is to do something radical: ask them." - John Heimlich, VP & Chief Economist of Airlines for America.
Final Thoughts
Understanding travelers and serving their needs is the key to success in the travel industry. This is particularly complex in the current moment, where travelers are demanding more flexibility and predictability at the same time. By adopting AI-driven practices, travel companies enable a more profound analysis of the customer experience in real-time and get insights that allow them to understand the current state of travelers' behavior.
DataArt's professionals have helped numerous companies in the travel industry develop and apply various custom technological solutions, particularly in the automation and AI fields.?Contact us?if you are looking for a technology partner with travel domain knowledge.
Originally published here.