“AI is revolutionising the very core of the travel industry”
As AI reshapes the travel landscape, Alibaba Fliggy CEO Mr Zhuoran Zhuang shares how the platform is harnessing innovation to improve the traveller experience and support merchants
ITB China News spoke with the CEO in an exclusive interview about Fliggy’s role in an AI-driven travel economy and the main trends driving the transition.
How are AI technologies affecting travellers, booking platforms and partners?
AI is revolutionising the very core of the travel industry, making it a critical area for all entrepreneurs and professionals to monitor closely.
On the consumer side, AI is tackling long-standing travel pain points such as information overload, unpredictable pricing, slow service response times, and language barriers. This not only reduces the effort required for decision-making but also ushers in a revolution in personalised travel experiences, redefining the way consumers plan and enjoy their journeys.
Booking platforms are evolving from being mere tools into intelligent hubs that seamlessly connect supply and demand. I believe the future lies with omni-intelligent agents. In the past, platforms relied on users to input a few basic keywords to describe their needs or to recommend products. Now, AI can understand user preferences deeply and intuitively – through natural, conversational interactions – and create fully customised travel plans. Fliggy’s latest AI-powered travel assistant, “AskMe,” is moving in this direction.
“Fliggy is fully committed to an open strategy that fosters collaboration with merchants for mutual growth.”
For business partners, AI holds the potential to enhance operational efficiency and precision. It can improve demand forecasting and revenue management, tackling issues such as outdated pricing strategies and underutilised resources during off-peak seasons. Moreover, it encourages businesses to focus on creating personalised experiences that truly resonate, shifting the focus from price-led competition to value-driven differentiation. This approach opens greater opportunities for growth, especially for niche merchants who have unique offerings.
What are some the responsibilities that come with the advances in AI technology?
As the travel industry embraces AI, there is a collective responsibility to establish a suitable ethical framework for the technology in this new era. This involves unlocking the value of data while safeguarding user privacy and security, fostering open collaboration across technology platforms, and enabling smaller businesses and destinations to benefit from AI innovations. For companies leading in technology innovation, AI acts as a magnifier – it enhances efficiency while amplifying responsibility.
What consumer trends or shifts in the online travel booking landscape are shaping your platform’s strategy?
Personalisation is a key trend. While not entirely new, the rise of the AI era has intensified the need for supply-side innovation. Fliggy is fully committed to an open strategy that fosters collaboration with merchants for mutual growth. For example, in outbound travel, more than 80% of consumers on our platform now prefer independent travel, with the average number of items purchased per user increasing annually. An enriched supply allows us to meet a broad array of customer needs, which is why Fliggy invites merchants of all sizes – offering high-quality and creative products – to open stores on our platform.
Second, the “value-for-money revolution” has arrived. Fliggy continues to innovate its supply-demand matching systems to provide consumers with engaging yet affordable choices. For instance, our innovative “Buy Now, Plan Later” model, using digital pre-sale products, allows consumers to make convenient purchases without immediate travel plans, thus using their spending power to express interests. This approach enables merchants to improve demand forecasting and long-term revenue management; one in every four high-end hotels in China has adopted this model.
Third, consumers increasingly seek interactive shopping experiences. To meet this demand, Fliggy is upgrading its live-streaming and influencer marketing strategies, offering innovative digital marketing solutions that seamlessly integrate with fulfillment processes. During this year’s 618 Shopping Festival, we anticipate that the number of product placements in Fliggy’s official live streams and by professional influencers will more than double compared to last year.
Empowering rural tourism: Fliggy’s long-term commitment
In 2024, Fliggy partnered with UN Tourism to advance the travel industry through knowledge sharing, rural tourism development, tourism trend analysis, and the development of training programs. Mr Zhuoran Zhuang said of the company’s partnership with ITB China this year that “it will create a powerful network effect, fostering meaningful dialogues that will inspire professionals worldwide and encourage comprehensive participation across the travel value chain in sustainable rural tourism development.”
Mr Zhuoran Zhuang emphasised that rural tourism has “always” been a focus for Fliggy. The “Unite to Discover Beauty” Rural Tourism Empowerment Program, launched jointly by Fliggy and Alibaba Philanthropy, aims to tackle the challenges faced by the rural tourism sector. “Over the past decade, e-commerce has emerged as one of the fastest-growing and largest segments of the global digital economy, highlighting the urgent need for improved digital infrastructure in rural tourism, which currently lags behind,” the CEO outlined.
Fliggy recognises its responsibility to address this gap. Through the Empowerment Program, the company offers tailored, multidimensional solutions for rural destinations, including product innovation, marketing promotion, industry integration, and talent development.
Today
Alibaba Rural Public Welfare Tourism Practice
Speaker: Mr Tong Teng, Vice President, Alibaba Fliggy
> 3:30-3:50
Stand Q47
AI已经开始重构旅游业的底层逻辑
随着人工智能推动旅游业迈入全新发展阶段，飞猪CEO庄卓然分享了平台如何以创新为驱动，升级旅客体验，助力商家成长。
ITB China News独家对话庄卓然，探讨飞猪在AI赋能下如何助力旅游经济升级，以及行业发展的新趋势。
问：人工智能技术如何影响旅行者、预订平台及合作伙伴？
答：AI已经开始重构旅游业的底层逻辑，是所有企业家和从业者需要高度关注的议题。
在需求端，AI正在消除传统旅行的摩擦点，如信息过载、商品价格波动、服务响应效率不高和语言障碍等，大幅降低用户的决策成本，同时真正意义上开启个性化体验的革命。
预订平台则可能超越工具属性，成为旅游供需匹配的智能中枢。我认为，未来没有online travel agencies，而是omni-intelligent agents。过去十年，平台只能依靠用户输入的少量关键词来判断他们到底需要什么，或把货品推荐给可能感兴趣的用户；而现在，AI能在自然的交流中，细腻地理解用户的需要，为他们生成独一无二的专属旅行方案。飞猪最新的AI应用“问一问”正在向这一方向努力。
对商家伙伴来说，AI一方面可能大幅提升管理的精度和效率，带来需求预测和收益能力的升级，帮助解决定价策略滞后、淡季资产利用率低等顽疾，一方面能驱动大家更加回归本质，专注于提供有特色、有温度的美好体验，从价格竞争走向价值竞争。相应地，平台也有望为非标准化的、细分的商家和商品带来更大的增长机会。
同时，整个行业都需要思考如何共同建立适应AI时代需要的技术伦理框架，例如在充分挖掘数据价值的同时确保用户的隐私和安全，呼吁在技术能力上充分开放合作、让更多中小商家和目的地从中受益。特别是对有技术优势的公司来讲，AI是放大镜——它放大效率，也放大责任。
飞猪将不遗余力地推进开放战略，让商家和我们一同成长。
问：您认为目前的消费者趋势和在线预订的新变化，如何影响飞猪的平台战略？
第一是个性化。这个趋势并不新鲜，但随着AI时代的来临，供给端变革的需求已经非常迫切。因此，飞猪将不遗余力地推进开放战略，让商家和我们一同成长。以出境游为例，我们平台上选择自由行的消费者比例已达80%以上，人均消费商品件数逐年增长；相应地，供给越丰富，能承接的需求场景就越多。
第二，“质价比革命”已经到来，飞猪继续创新供需匹配机制，为消费者带来兼具实惠和趣味的选择。例如，我们掀起了“囤旅游”的潮流，利用数字化的预售型产品，让消费者在没有明确需求的情况下也能以简单明确的价格直接下单，用真金白银为兴趣投票。而商家也可以借此更好地预测需求、管理长期收益，目前中国每4家高星级酒店，就有1家参与过“囤旅游”。
第三，消费者青睐交互式的购买体验，飞猪将升级直播、达人带货等内容营销能力，为商家提供创新的数字化整合营销方案，并完美连接后续的履约环节。正在进行的618年中大促中，飞猪官方直播间及专业达人主播的带货坑位数将比去年增长100%以上。
乡村振兴，我们一直会做
飞猪2024年与联合国世界旅游组织达成合作，我们希望在知识共享、乡村旅游发展、旅游趋势研究及培训项目开发等方面为行业贡献应有之力。今年ITB China汇集了逾85个国家的700多个参展商，基于这样的网络效应，这些有意义的对话将对世界各地的从业者产生影响，成为产业链上下游充分参与乡村旅游可持续发展的灵感火花。
“益起寻美”乡村旅游助力计划是飞猪和阿里巴巴公益共同发起的行动。过去十年，电商是全球发展最快、规模最大的数字经济领域之一，但从产业域和地域的角度看，乡村叠加旅游是电商基础最薄弱的领域。作为中国领先的数字旅游平台，飞猪有义务让这一情况变得更好。“益起寻美”为乡村目的地定制多维度的解决方案，包括产品创新、营销推广、产业融合、人才发展等。以人才培训为例，截至目前，我们已培训乡村旅游从业者逾6万人次，即便在疫情期间也从未间断。
今日主题演讲
阿里巴巴的乡村公益实践
演讲人：飞猪旅行 副总裁 仝腾
3:30-3:50
