#Expedia Romie

[angel0news]

Would You Trust AI to Plan Your Next Vacation?

When Jason Brown organized his summer holiday to Amsterdam and Ireland, he didn’t rely on travel books or social media. Instead, he turned to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence tool. Brown used the AI to help craft a 10-day itinerary for his trip with his family, visiting Dublin, Galway, and Amsterdam.

“I used to rely on sites like TripAdvisor,” said Brown, who runs the recruitment company People Movers. “But with AI, I had all the information I needed in 15 seconds.” He described the experience as "fantastic," noting that ChatGPT provided detailed plans, including a golf itinerary for Dublin and a schedule split into morning, afternoon, and evening activities. For instance, it suggested starting in Dublin with a visit to Trinity College, followed by Grafton Street in the afternoon, and Temple Bar in the evening. For Amsterdam, it recommended popular sites like the Anne Frank Museum and Van Gogh Museum.

While Brown followed many AI suggestions, he also relied on personal recommendations from friends and an online community. He appreciated the balance, saying AI provided “a perfect skeleton of a trip,” while human advice added unique experiences that the tool couldn’t offer.

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, and travel-specific platforms like Trip Planner and Ask Layla are becoming increasingly integrated into travel planning. According to a Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money survey, one in 10 Britons has used AI to plan a holiday, and 20% are likely to do so in the future. However, the study revealed that AI has room for improvement, with 38% of users finding the results too generic, and others reporting missing or incorrect information.

Caroline Bremmer, head of travel and tourism research at Euromonitor International, warns that while AI can create personalized itineraries, its accuracy depends on the quality of the data it’s trained on. Outdated or incorrect information can lead to flawed recommendations. She advises travelers to verify AI results with other sources, like local residents or travel agents, to ensure up-to-date and accurate advice.

Sardar Bali, co-founder of Berlin-based AI travel service Just Ask Layla, emphasized the importance of accuracy. While his service uses both automated and manual verification processes to check the content, Bali admits occasional errors, such as a misplaced mention of an Eiffel Tower in Beijing.

Travel companies are also getting in on the trend. Expedia recently launched Romie, an AI tool within its app, designed to help U.S. users plan vacations by narrowing down destinations and comparing options based on themes, such as family-friendly beaches.

Despite the growing use of AI in travel, not all experiences are positive. Freelance writer Rebecca Crowe had disappointing results when using AI to plan a trip to Lecco, near Lake Como. The itineraries were impractical, suggesting too much travel between destinations like Milan and Bellagio. She also had trouble finding up-to-date information on gluten-free restaurants and ferry schedules.

Crowe now uses AI primarily as a tool for broad inspiration but advises travelers to cross-reference its suggestions with more reliable sources. “It’s a good starting point,” she said, “but it doesn’t save as much time as you’d think due to the fact-checking required.”

[phonemantra-blog]

Get ready for a smoother, smarter, and more stress-free travel experience! Expedia Group, a leader in the travel industry, has unveiled a wave of groundbreaking innovations at its annual EXPLORE™ conference. This includes the much-anticipated launch of Romie™, the travel industry's first AI assistant designed to be your personalized travel companion throughout your entire journey. In addition to Romie, Expedia Group announced a comprehensive Spring Product Release featuring a suite of AI-powered features to streamline the travel planning process for users and empower travel partners with valuable tools. Expedia Group Revolutionizes Introducing Romie: Your AI Travel Buddy Imagine having a travel agent, concierge, and personal assistant all rolled into one – that's the power of Romie. This innovative AI assistant is designed to learn your preferences, suggest destinations and activities, and even help you navigate unexpected changes during your trip. Personalized Travel Planning at Your Fingertips Romie integrates seamlessly with your travel planning process. Here's how it works: Group Chat Trip Planning: Traveling with a group? Invite Romie to join your text message chat and ask for suggestions on destinations, activities, or anything else related to your trip. Smart Search: Romie can analyze your group chat and translate those discussions into actionable travel searches. You can further personalize these searches by adding filters like rooftop views or early check-in to find the perfect hotel. Building Your Itinerary: Like a meticulous travel concierge, Romie helps you construct your dream itinerary. It can pull in travel information from your emails and suggest restaurants and activities near your hotel that cater to your group's interests. Dynamic Assistance Throughout Your Trip Romie doesn't stop being helpful once you've booked your trip. Here's how it assists with the go: Real-time Updates: Romie keeps your itinerary updated in real-time, ensuring everyone in your travel group can stay on the same page. Weather and Disruption Management: Encountered unexpected weather changes or travel disruptions? Romie will proactively suggest alternative options to keep your trip on track. 2024 Spring Product Release: AI Powering a Smoother Travel Experience Expedia Group's 2024 Spring Product Release leverages the power of AI to simplify various aspects of the travel experience for users, from planning and booking to managing reservations and getting customer support. Traveler Product Highlights Personalized Itinerary Builder: This innovative feature allows users to create customized itineraries based on AI-generated recommendations tailored to their trip preferences and saved items. This feature will be available on the Expedia app in the U.S. this summer. Self-Service Booking Management: Hassle-free travel management is now a reality. Users can make changes, cancellations, and air credit redemptions directly within the Expedia app or website. This feature will be available globally on Expedia and Hotels.com this summer. Get Help Fast: No more wading through endless FAQs! Thanks to AI advancements, Expedia and Hotels.com users in the U.S. can now access a completely revamped Help Center that provides quick and easy solutions to their travel queries. Enhanced Price and Destination Comparison Tools: Finding the perfect travel deal and destination just got easier. Users can compare hotel and flight prices across various dates to find options that fit their budget. Additionally, a new AI-powered tool called GenAI helps users discover and compare new destinations based on their preferences. Both features will be available on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo globally this summer. Guest Review Summary: Save time sorting through mountains of reviews! Expedia, powered by GenAI technology, now summarizes guest reviews upfront, allowing users to make informed decisions quickly. Empowering Travel Partners with Advanced Tools The 2024 Spring Product Release doesn't just benefit travelers; it provides travel partners with valuable tools to enhance their businesses. Partner Product Highlights Fraud Prevention as a Service (PaaS): Financial losses due to fraudulent bookings are a significant concern for travel businesses. Expedia Group's FPaaS solution helps travel partners screen bookings, reduce unauthorized account access, and minimize chargeback losses. Advertiser-Funded Loyalty: Travel partners can now leverage Expedia Group's OneKeyCash™ program to incentivize travelers to book hotels through their platform. Optimized Distribution for Hoteliers: This feature allows regional chains and independent hotels to gain more control over their inventory and pricing strategies.

[oliviaculpofashionblog]

What: Aya Muse Romi Tank Top and Romi Trousers in Black - $160.00 / $341.00 Where: Expedia Group’s One Key Launch Event in New York - July 18, 2023

[rollinbrigittenv8]

13 Big Winners in Travel Advertising at Cannes Lions 2017

Expedia and Visit Britain won an award for their campaign that encouraged travel beyond London.

Skift Take: The big lesson here is that digital first is the future.

— Jason Clampet

Editor’s Note: This past week creatives from around the world descended on the south of France for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the most coveted creative awards in the industry.

Jesse Desjardins, global manager of social content for Tourism Australia was on hand during the event and he shared his insights below on the most-awarded campaigns in travel. Skift has covered Desjardins work at Tourism Australia in the past, most notably the destination marketing organization’s Instagram efforts.

Here are the travel campaigns that received accolades:

Campaign: Doors of Thrones, Tourism Ireland Agency: Publicis London

This winner of the Grand Prix and Silver Lion award in the Effectiveness category was also featured in last year’s review, and is also a tourism campaign with a local spin. While the renowned Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) is beloved and frequently visited by tourists to Chicago, it’s been largely ignored by locals who consider it intimidating; only 25% of paid visitors were locals. The AIC needed to show that they were a welcoming place — and how better to show people they’re welcome than invite people to stay over?

As part of their exhibition on Van Gogh’s work, the AIC recreated the artist’s bedroom as part of the exhibit and then put the room up on Airbnb. It was the most successful exhibition the museum had in 15 years — but most importantly, that success was generated by local attendance, which was up 97% and provided the majority of the visits. It was the first time in a decade that the majority of visits had come from locals. The ROMI of the campaign, developed by Leo Burnett Chicago, was $4.07:1.

[touristguidebuzz]

12 Big Winners in Travel Advertising at Cannes Lions 2017

Expedia and Visit Britain won an award for their campaign that encouraged travel beyond London.

Skift Take: The big lesson here is that digital first is the future.

— Jason Clampet

Editor’s Note: This past week creatives from around the world descended on the south of France for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the most coveted creative awards in the industry.

Jesse Desjardins, global manager of social content for Tourism Australia was on hand during the event and he shared his insights below on the most-awarded campaigns in travel. Skift has covered Desjardins work at Tourism Australia in the past, most notably the destination marketing organization’s Instagram efforts.

Here are the travel campaigns that received accolades:

Campaign: Doors of Thrones, Tourism Ireland Agency: Publicis London

This winner of the Grand Prix and Silver Lion award in the Effectiveness category was also featured in last year’s review, and is also a tourism campaign with a local spin. While the renowned Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) is beloved and frequently visited by tourists to Chicago, it’s been largely ignored by locals who consider it intimidating; only 25% of paid visitors were locals. The AIC needed to show that they were a welcoming place — and how better to show people they’re welcome than invite people to stay over?

As part of their exhibition on Van Gogh’s work, the AIC recreated the artist’s bedroom as part of the exhibit and then put the room up on Airbnb. It was the most successful exhibition the museum had in 15 years — but most importantly, that success was generated by local attendance, which was up 97% and provided the majority of the visits. It was the first time in a decade that the majority of visits had come from locals. The ROMI of the campaign, developed by Leo Burnett Chicago, was $4.07:1.

[rollinbrigittenv8]

12 Big Winners in Travel Advertising at Cannes Lions 2017

Expedia and Visit Britain won an award for their campaign that encouraged travel beyond London.

Skift Take: The big lesson here is that digital first is the future.

— Jason Clampet

Editor’s Note: This past week creatives from around the world descended on the south of France for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the most coveted creative awards in the industry.

Jesse Desjardins, global manager of social content for Tourism Australia was on hand during the event and he shared his insights below on the most-awarded campaigns in travel. Skift has covered Desjardins work at Tourism Australia in the past, most notably the destination marketing organization’s Instagram efforts.

Here are the travel campaigns that received accolades:

Campaign: Doors of Thrones, Tourism Ireland Agency: Publicis London

This winner of the Grand Prix and Silver Lion award in the Effectiveness category was also featured in last year’s review, and is also a tourism campaign with a local spin. While the renowned Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) is beloved and frequently visited by tourists to Chicago, it’s been largely ignored by locals who consider it intimidating; only 25% of paid visitors were locals. The AIC needed to show that they were a welcoming place — and how better to show people they’re welcome than invite people to stay over?

As part of their exhibition on Van Gogh’s work, the AIC recreated the artist’s bedroom as part of the exhibit and then put the room up on Airbnb. It was the most successful exhibition the museum had in 15 years — but most importantly, that success was generated by local attendance, which was up 97% and provided the majority of the visits. It was the first time in a decade that the majority of visits had come from locals. The ROMI of the campaign, developed by Leo Burnett Chicago, was $4.07:1.