Artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming the travel industry and generative AI is slated to take it a step further, creating hyper personalised travel systems for agents.
Garry Wiseman, Sabre Travel Solutions’ chief product and technology officer, said technology is advancing fast, which Sabre is tapping into and developing new tools.
This includes an AI tool that is able to pen emails to customers, identify and then request any missing information, and translate it into an itinerary in almost any language. In addition, Sabre has developed an email marketing solution.
“From a productivity standpoint, there’s a huge amount of time and money to save for agent,” he said. “There’s actually a very large amount of opportunities.”
Wiseman added that generative AI has evolved rapidly, from being able to create text before shifting to images. Today, it has the capability of creating short videos accompanied by music, which is ideal for online content.
“There’s a huge amount of inspiration that can come from the travel agents who have an immense amount of knowledge about destinations, places to stay, places to eat, places to see,” he said.
“Using generative AI, there’s a great opportunity if you’re a travel agent and you’re promoting destinations to leverage these tools to create things that you can post on Instagram or different social media platforms.”
Wiseman added that dynamic, real-time booking generated by AI is also on the horizon, considering how rapidly technology is advancing.
“Look at the evolution of the last year – a year ago, ChatGPT was still in its infancy and we saw that certain travel companies started to introduce chat bots, but you couldn’t get pricing or availability,” he remarked.
“Since then, that’s evolved. Now you can get information about pricing for flights. I think the next step is to be able to book and have a personalised experience. It’s exciting because it opens up different mechanisms, such as voice to engage and be able to go through the booking process.”
Marriott International has signed an agreement with Victoria Park Hotels to launch The Park Lane Hong Kong, Autograph Collection in early 2025.
The Park Lane Hong Kong, Autograph Collection is expected to have 820 guestrooms and is part of a 28-story mixed-use development with retail outlets on the ground and first floors. Other facilities comprise an executive lounge, three dining venues and over 1,700m² of event spaces as well as recreational facilities. Guestrooms will boast views of Victoria Harbour, Victoria Park, or the city.
The new hotel will be located on Gloucester Road in Causeway Bay, home to Victoria Park, Hong Kong Island’s largest public park. The hotel will be within a five-minute walk to Causeway Bay Metro Station and within 10 minutes’ walk to major corporate venues such as the Lee Garden and World Trade Center. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center and Hong Kong’s key business district, Central, are only a five-minute drive from the property, and Hong Kong International Airport is a 35-minute drive away.
Marriott International currently operates 13 hotels in Hong Kong spanning cross 10 brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, JW Marriott, Marriott, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Le Meridien, Renaissance, Courtyard, and Four Points by Sheraton.