80% of virtual assistants will be robots in two years

80% of virtual assistants will be robots in two years

When it comes to digital transformation tools, tourism is one of the leading sectors putting it into practice, with AI, blockchain, big data and UX, all buzzwords in the industry today.

-Specialised training will be a leading factor among professionals in the sector, regardless of whether they’re recent graduates or more experienced, they all need to provide vision in more strategic work.

The tourism sector is probably one of the areas that has evolved the most since the appearance of the internet. Traditional brick-and-mortar travel agencies have now had to change their business model to adapt to consumers’ needs. However, this “adaptation” is showing no signs of breaking with the increase in new technologies that make purchases easier but also offer significant advantages to businesses.

In particular, the most significant benefits technology provides tourism companies with are more efficient processes and work (42%) and more efficient management 25%)1. In fact, a travel agency typically took between 45 minutes and two hours to find tourism services for corporate clients in the past, but nowadays with the implementation of optimised AI systems, it can find a quote in less than 3 minutes, saving between 8 and 10% on the final price.

One of the most notable aspects where AI is being implemented is with travel assistants, via chatbots, which allows employees to carry out other tasks. And in 2020, it’s expected that 80% of travel assistants will be robots.

“AI will bring added value to the tourism sector and help us make decisions at different stages, not just when buying, but also in terms of we consume our trips. Thanks to tools like robots implemented in chatbots, we can now access options that are better suited to our travel preferences, and they do all the work while we just have to enjoy our trip” says Mayte Ruiz de Velasco, director of the Digital Innovation Center.

Training is key in a sector that’s continually being updated

According to the latest reports, tourism is the main sector generating income and employment in Spain. So it comes as no surprise that thousands of people choose to focus their professional career on this sector as both employees and entrepreneurs. Many of the startups that we’ll hear about in two or three years from now will be the ones creating disruptive models in the tourism sector today, developing new business models associated with accommodation, transport, tourism packages, activities at the destination, payment systems, loyalty, etc.

However, many of these new companies are created on a purely technological basis and require professionals with knowledge adapted to business needs. According to data from the Digital Innovation Center – a think tank offering the most advanced, up-to-date training in digital disciplines on the markettourism companies nowadays want to hire experts in big data, artificial intelligence and analysts and experts in customer experience, IOT, eCRM and ERP.