I’ve recently been reading an article about the dual impact of generative AI on tourism consumers, and what struck me the most was this: analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of using generative AI assistants has nothing to do with whether we want to use them because we eventually will!
Yes, you heard me. There’s no way successful businesses can ignore how useful, fast, and smart these assistants are. Recognizing that taking advantage of this technology is the key to staying competitive in the market is crucial. But here’s the catch: overusing these advancements can also lead to major failures.
The bright sides of using AI in hospitality are fairly obvious, but let me stress that generative AI assistants are far more advanced than simple ones. As the name suggests, generative assistants can not only analyze guest information but also generate exclusive, hyper-personalized plans and itineraries. And of course, advantages such as streamlined communication and lightning-fast responses cannot be overlooked.
But let’s be honest: isn’t hospitality all about human interaction and building meaningful, respectful relationships? What happens to the rapport we want to establish? How genuinely can a robot apologize to an angry guest? How kindly can it comfort a child who won’t stop crying? Of course, there are more dark sides to AI, such as safety risks or accuracy issues, but here we want to focus on communication.
The truth is that while people appreciate faster, easier processes when traveling or booking a hotel room, they still crave meaningful communication and respect. In fact, they’re literally paying for the respect they receive from us. It’s we, not smart robots, who make guests feel important and valued!
So, here’s the point: the key is balance. A smart manager knows when to take advantage of fast AI assistants and when to rely on human interaction to build relationships. That balance is what keeps guests coming back!