Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the world. Already, the technology is helping to improve services, gather and use data, and simplify work.
Unsurprisingly, many industries—including travel—are embracing the technology to no end.
One of the most exciting ways AI is used in travel is through digital, interactive tour guides. These guides offer a new way to explore, appreciate, and interact with the physical world around us. All from the comfort of your smartphone.
These AI guides can simplify entire trips using relevant real-time information. They can also help provide highly immersive experiences at famous museums, galleries, and more. It’s an exciting time for the travel industry.
With that in mind, let’s explore just how these AI-led tour guides can positively affect your travel plans. You’ll also learn about other essential tech that can help you maximize your time away.
AI tour guides can personalize your trip
Personalization means that your vacation is customized to your liking, considering your interests, the length of your trip, and where you’re staying.
Want more information about a place you’re visiting? AI can answer common tourist questions in real-time. This alone ensures you’ve always got your chaperone on vacation.
Take the island of Fanø in Denmark, which has introduced the first AI tour guide, Waddi. Tourists can scan QR codes in the area and ask the virtual avatar questions about the locality. Waddi can advise tourists on everything from the best activities to local restaurants.
Best of all, AI tour guides like Waddi can gather relevant data to provide up-to-date information. For example, they can periodically be updated to reflect new amenities in the area. This makes them incredibly futureproof.
AI can optimize your plans and save money
AI tour guides can also help organize and create the perfect itinerary for your vacation. They take the stress out of researching and booking.
For example, AI tour guides use local weather reports to recommend activities for your trip. They also analyze areas of high congestion and recommend the best time to visit places when they’re quieter. This can help optimize your days and maximize your time.
Moreover, AI can help streamline bookings and remove the frustration of getting relevant information. Chatbots, for example, can answer any traveler’s concerns in real-time, like a 24-hour help desk. They can also highlight the best deals or transport services available in their area.
AI makes any activity more interactive and immersive
AI-generated content is also changing how we experience the physical world. Many world-famous museums now use AI-generated content to provide immersive and interactive experiences.
Whether you’re at the attraction yourself or researching from home, AI tour guides can help bring the magic of travel to life on your screen. From galleries recreating artwork to virtual tours, audio guides, and more, AI can give tourists a new way to explore the world.
Take, for example, the Anne Frank Museum, which now has an immersive recreation of one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions. Tourists can download the app and experience the Secret Annex in a new way.
Two other travel tech essentials to know about
As AI continues to change the travel industry, it’s important to remember it’s only one of many new advances. Travelers can use new tech and tools to take their vacation to the next level. Two of the most exciting and useful include:
1. eSIM
AI technology can be useless if you can’t use your smartphone. A common barrier travelers face is not connecting to local networks abroad.
eSIMs are an exciting technology that makes using your smartphone on vacation a breeze. Think of them like a digital version of a traditional SIM card, where you make changes through an app on your phone.
With an eSIM, you can connect to the best local networks in your area no matter where you are in the world. With their help, you can stay connected to the internet, receive calls, and stay in touch with people from home.
Your next question will be how to download eSIM technology. Thankfully, the entire process is incredibly easy. First, check that your smartphone is compatible with eSIMs. Then, visit a service provider that offers connections to your future destination.
Download their eSIM app and choose a data plan that suits your trip’s needs. Then, activate your plan before you set off.
2. Virtual reality
Virtual reality is another technology revolutionizing how we experience travel. And when combined with AI technology, it is truly remarkable. Now, enjoying some of the most spectacular places on earth from the comfort of your home is possible.
Travelers can use VR technology to research places they will travel to or relive some of their fondest memories. Examples of VR in action include the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The Australian government developed the service to educate tourists on conservation efforts. Now, people can enjoy a front-row seat to the wonderful reef from anywhere in the world.
The future of AI in tourism
AI is changing travel for the better. With its help, you can easily book and organize your entire trip. And with the rise of digital tour guides, you can enjoy more immersive, enriching experiences from your smartphone screen.
That said, travelers must also monitor other evolving technologies in the industry. Tools like eSIMs and VR are set to change how we connect and interact with the world around us, bringing our travel experience to the next level.
