Leading digital travel platform, Booking.com, has introduced its revolutionary AI Trip Planner, set to launch in beta to a select group of US travelers on June 28 via the company’s app.
Leveraging the existing machine learning models that provide destination and accommodation recommendations to millions of users daily, the AI Trip Planner incorporates large language model (LLM) technology from OpenAI’s ChatGPT API to introduce an innovative conversational aspect to the trip planning process.
A Game-Changing Approach to Search and Exploration
Travelers now have the ability to pose general and specific travel-related questions to the AI Trip Planner, catering to every stage of their trip planning journey. Whether seeking potential destinations, exploring accommodation options, seeking travel inspiration based on personal preferences, or creating itineraries for specific cities, countries, or regions, the AI Trip Planner offers a comprehensive and tailored experience.
Tailored Recommendations for a Personalized Journey
The AI Trip Planner allows seamless communication between travelers and the pilot AI, enabling users to describe their preferences broadly or specifically, ask questions, and refine their search in real time. Within seconds, the AI Trip Planner presents new options, providing recommendations in a quick and conversational manner. From discovering idyllic Caribbean beach getaways to curating a list of vacation homes suitable for a family of four with specific amenities like air conditioning and a pool, the AI Trip Planner caters to individual preferences.
An Integrated Travel Planning Experience
Taking trip planning to new heights, the AI Trip Planner not only provides visual lists of destinations and properties, complete with Booking.com’s pricing information, but also offers deep-links for users to access additional details. Travelers can seamlessly switch between their chat with the AI Trip Planner and the Booking.com app interface while considering various options for their trip. By simply tapping on their desired accommodation, they can swiftly complete their reservation, as the AI Trip Planner is seamlessly integrated into the accommodation booking experience within the Booking.com app.
Enhancing the Customer Experience through Technological Innovation
Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking.com, shared, “Our primary aim at Booking.com has always been to leverage technology to make travel easier. The recent developments with generative AI are accelerating the work we’ve been doing for years with machine learning to enhance and improve every aspect of the customer experience on our platform, whether it’s optimizing the right order to display a hotel’s photos or surfacing the most relevant reviews. Our new AI Trip Planner is simply the next step in our ongoing journey to explore how we can bring even more value, and hopefully enjoyment, to the entire trip planning process.”
Rob Francis, CTO of Booking.com, expressed his excitement about the AI Trip Planner, stating, “Our new AI Trip Planner provides us with some really exciting possibilities to help our customers plan and search for travel options in a very natural, human way. With generative AI, we’re able to start having scalable, one-to-one conversations with our customers on their terms, much like how you would begin to talk about planning a trip with your partner or friends. It’s just the beginning, but we have lots of runway here to explore in order to innovate and connect the travel experience further on Booking.com, all in a safe, ethical, and inclusive way.”
Availability and Access
Commencing on June 28, the beta version of the AI Trip Planner will be gradually rolled out to an increasing percentage of Booking.com Genius members in the United States in the following weeks. To access this cutting-edge travel planning tool, US travelers must sign in to their Booking.com account within the app and set their language preferences to English.
