By Cristal Bukler, Tourism Researcher
What comes to your mind when you hear/read words like AI and Machine learning?
Does it sound too futuristic?
The truth is that the future is already here! But good news: as a Hotelier, you don't actually need to understand how this technology works but how it can help you.
During our "Effects after coronavirus" Live Series the past June, 18th we had the pleasure to listen key industry players talking about the cooperation between Tech and Humans in Hospitality; specifically how AI and ML are shaping our daily operations.
Were part of the panel:
• Brendan May, Managing Director | HERA by Hotel Resbot
• Fiona Gillen, VP Marketing | The Hotels Network
• Luke Okelo, Software Engineer & University Lecturer | The technical University of Kenya
• Nina Barfoed Petersen, Documentation and Robotics Specialist | Arp-Hansen Hotel Group
Key facts about our Panelists:
| Brendan May doesn't like to use the term AI all the time, he is more focused on the capabilities it has. He is also a believer that humans and machines should cooperate, not one to be replaced by the other one.
| Fiona Gillen understands the importance of using ML to personalize the CX as it allows us to predict travelers' future behaviors. Their main goal at The Hotels Network is to convert the booking requests, drive more direct bookings and reduce costs.
| Luke Okelo, who lives in Kenya, saw the huge impact lockdown had in the Tourism sector in his country; and as Kenya depends a lot on Tourism, he firmly believes that the use of AI and ML makes it possible to build new products and services to activate the local economy.
| Nina Barfoed P. went from an operational background to leading an important technology implementation at Four Seasons Hotels and then at Arp-Hansen Hotel Group as a Robotics Specialist.
These experiences allows her to clearly understand what Hoteliers are afraid of when it comes to implementing new technologies.
Discussion's Takeaways:
The main focus of the conversation was on how the implementation of technology can lead to a faster recovery for our industry.
Through business cases we saw that technology is easy both to implement and use, and that this is the perfect time to learn its different uses before the economy activation.
•Automation processes are very helpful when handling a lot of data
•Personalization and behavior predictions are met thanks to the use of technology
•You don't need to know anything about AI or ML, just get the benefits of it
•When used it correctly, Technology can make our daily operations easier. You have to understand exactly what you want to achieve and then look for the automation
•The new normal demands that technology is incorporated, and automation is a must if you want to be more efficient, save money and speed up processes
•Tech is the healing solution for the future
•Ultimately, we want to have the people before the robots; behind tech are we, humans, and that will never change
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