Technology Is Necessary for Better Personalization in the Travel Industry
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the next big thing in all industries, including the travel industry.
AI technologies, like machine learning, offer the next step toward providing better customer experiences, as consumers increasingly want to feel as if brands know them and understand their preferences.
Talking Tech
Travel Technology Europe conducted a poll asking travel companies what specific AI technologies they were planning to invest in over the next 12 months. Chatbots topped the list (36%), closely followed by automated content (35%) and machine learning (32%).
Those poll results suggest that consumers want more personalized information when they’re using travel sites. Irrelevant marketing content about locations they have no interest in will, unsurprisingly, put them off. And this makes sense because traveling is a personal endeavor. What interests one person when traveling may not interest a different person.
In fact, one survey highlighted by PhocusWire found that 36 percent of travelers would pay more for information and experiences that are tailored to their preferences or past behavior.
It’s clear then that AI technologies like chatbots are sensible investments. Especially when they enhance customers’ online experiences and make them feel as if they’re having interactions and conversations that are relevant to their specific travel plans.
Getting Things in Order
AI will help improve personalization tactics for the travel industry. But I think it’s important to ensure accurate location data is present first, because everything revolves around location data when it comes to the travel and tourism industry. And travel companies must attain a Golden Record for their location data if they want their AI to perform to the best of its capabilities.
Location data comes from a variety of entities in the travel and tourism industry, including hoteliers and agents. And this means that location data can easily be inaccurately entered or accidentally duplicated.
Address data validation technology, however, can mitigate errors different entities make when inputting location data. And such technology can also help improve the back-end processes that parse, match, and verify data to maintain the accuracy of an organization’s location information.
Loqate offers address validation technologies and solutions that plug into existing software and improve location data. Their technologies and solutions reduce costs associated with using inaccurate data in the future, as well as improve each customer’s experience.
As someone who has experience in this field, I believe that travel companies should rely on an address validation solution first. Especially when they’re thinking about utilizing AI to personalize their deals and information. In addition, travel companies that want to stay ahead should harness accurate location data to attain highly satisfied customers and to secure continual business growth.
I recently created the Travel and Tourism Guide, which covers how to create the best address record. It also covers the topic discussed above. And it includes more information about what a Golden Record is. If you want a copy please click here or leave a comment on this post. I’d be happy to send it over to you as soon as possible.
