Trip.com, embracing AI and driving loyalty through better user experiences
In an exclusive interview with ITB Berlin News, Trip.com’s Chief Operating Officer, Schubert Lou, outlines how AI is transforming the way travellers book and manage their trips
Trip.com’s AI-powered travel assistant, TripGenie, is increasing loyalty and conversion levels by providing an improved user experience.
What kind of booking experience do you believe we are moving towards with AI?
With AI we’re looking at a more personalised, and more convenient booking experience. By personalised I mean we understand users’ histories and their preferences, we’re able to then put them into AI to find the products that better meet their needs. In the past, with traditional filtering the user had to do all of the work. But now with AI, which can know the intricacies of a hotel as well as the user, the two can be matched, recommendations are more accurate, and conversion levels will be higher. And in terms of convenience, we always want to drive multi-modality, meaning voice commands as well as text. The experience is getting easier because it is faster to find what you want.
(…) we find that people who use Trip.com’s AI-powered TripGenie have a better level of engagement and spend more time with it because they can get better results.
How can AI enhance the customer experience and drive loyalty?
A positive service experience is a crucial factor in building customer loyalty. Right now, we find that people who use Trip.com’s AI-powered TripGenie have a better level of engagement and spend more time with it because they can get better results. The number of conversions that come from a TripGenie session is up 200%, with browsing time up nearly 100%. And the revisit rate is also higher. If AI can answer all types of questions – book a flight, plan a trip, reserve accommodations – then that produces better loyalty along the way.
What are some of the hurdles to using AI effectively without overwhelming or alienating customers?
The number one issue is accuracy. That’s the industry challenge we’re all running into right now because once in a while AI still ‘hallucinates,’ no matter what kind of system prompt it gets and what kind of fine tuning we do. Number two is latency. Latency means how long it takes to get the answer a user is looking for. The new AI models coming out are definitely faster, but there’s still a level of latency. And, the third part of it is of course cost.
Do you think there will be a major shift in how travellers book and experience travel in the next few years?
Absolutely. The ultimate goal is the autonomous agent concept. An autonomous agent will know who you are and what you want, and know your calendar so well it can have a conversation with you about your availability and preferences in order to book a trip. Maybe it’s still a few years away, but it is not unachievable.
What advice would you give to travel industry operators preparing for AI integration?
Operators need to get ready for AI, making their systems AI-ready and AI-friendly. AI-ready means making it so that AI can operate within their ecosystems or platforms. AI takes a specific type of data format as well as training, so you need to put work into it to get ready. AI-friendly means that other agents outside of your ecosystem can come in and interact with it.
Trip.com Group and WTTC unveil Technology Game Changers joint report
A concise and focused analysis of sixteen key emerging and breakthrough technologies, the report is an essential guide to staying ahead of the tech curve with insights and analysis that enable travel and tourism business leaders to successfully navigate an evolving digital future.
