What are the Impact and Challenge of AI Technology to Tourism Planning?

Currently I’m doing a research topic about how to combine the AI technology into tourism research. So this question is in the area of big data, what are the impact and the challenges do the AI technology bring to tourism planning? Well, let me say it anyway. I’m not an expert in the AI, but it seems to be that AI has one big advantage. I know there are challenges in using it. I know there are challenges in using it. But the advantages that we’ve known about big data for years, but the techniques now enable us to analyze it very quickly. The big challenge is how to use the data. And this is, I think, where the experience of planning come into it.

So for example, if you took say, I don’t know, but if you took national data of population changes in China, huge statistics. But now we can crunch those numbers very quickly. We can provide for planners. I would think that although how to use it as a challenge, but how to do it as provided a great opportunity. But I pass over to the experts. Oh, I hardly say that I was an expert in the artificial intelligence and its application to tourism planning. But certainly you could see areas where it would be a great benefit and a great contribute to the planning process. The first one is, of course, big data analysis.

You remember that one of the critical components is the situation analysis related to market demand and supply of tourist facilities and services. Now, if you have that data available, you’re then able to do cross tabulations which you can instructor and AI enabled machine to undertake and produce the kind of data you need for planning purposes, supply demand gaps, for example, opportunities, even to the point of evaluating strengths and weaknesses, for example. Because AI protocols allow simulation of the sort of work that a planner would normally do. And the planner in ten fifteen years time is going to be very different kind of person. You may be talking to a machine to do quite a lot of it.

For example, simple things like rapid field assessment, and AI enabled drone, right? Can probably do the job in a fraction of the time. It would take a team of experts to do. They have to go around. You know, I can remember when we in Yunnan, for example, we would be on a four week field mission. Now, this would be done in in about two days using the technology available today. So it’s very different. So that says something about the effectiveness and efficiency of planning, but also the ability to drill down and get more data and more meaningful information.

So that should improve the strategies, the action plans, and also the results framework, because the beauty of the artificial intelligence is and it’s connectivity to big data, is that you can get instant readings on results against predetermined indicators with base lines starting at the beginning of the planning process, and then targets along the way， And so you know, it will revolutionize the way we do planning. I think it’s fantastic. I’m planning to be around for the next thirty, forty years. So by reading scientific articles, I know there are already many technology for tourism recommendation. Yeah, willing or not, we are stepping into the smart tourism. I think, as myself, I will keeping watching what will happen in the future.

So thank you for you sharing.