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You know it's a good day at work when you hear the voices of your customers and learn about the positive experience they have had with your company. For most in the tourism industry, these are visitors who engage in your experiences. But for our team at the Tourism Cafe, our customers are destination partners who support the operators in their region to design, develop, price, and launch into market, new visitor experiences for their guests. When COVID-19 shut down the country, I was en route to deliver the keynote address to the provincial tourism conference in Saskatchewan. Well, that didn't happen, but something magical replaced it that I believe will have a much longer legacy with tourism businesses in Saskatchewan. I was invited to join the Achieving AWEsome program team to support 'Step 3 - AWEsome Actions' element that fast-tracks the experience design, development, costing and pricing to prepare them for piloting their experience with the Tourism Saskatchewan Industry Development team and take it to market. And a mega bonus of this project was working with my two sons during COVID! Luc Arsenault, a Jazz Pilot and Flight Instructor, was the e-course designer and bilingual narrator for two of the courses during his COVID-lay off. Marco Arsenault, my other son, a high school math and computer science instructor was the tech user-tester to ensure the course functioned as it should. Over the years, like the participants, we learned together, refined the program, and found ways to celebrate success. Now, as I hear the voices of our alumni in the program video produced, I'm bursting with pride at how much these wonderful tourism operators have achieved in my home province of Saskatchewan! I can't wait to get the list of participants who have been pre-qualified for the fall course, and to continue working with Denise Stroeder, Corrina Kapeller, and Brenden Branscombe at Tourism Saskatchewan.

While Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for a while, new uses and applications for AI in the tourism industry are rapidly increasingly. The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 by OpenAI, has significantly increased awareness of the power of this technology to enhance our everyday lives. This led me to dig into how AI is being used by tourism destinations and businesses to move visitors down the path-to-purchase and enhance the visitor experience. Research of this nature can take one down a rabbit hole but revealed some interesting and fun examples. It’s still early days in the world of tech-powered tourism using AI, the Metaverse and ChatGPT, but our industry is set to be revolutionized by these technologies. ChatGPT was a logical place to start to prompt for examples from destinations around the world where AI is being used at different points on the path-to-purchase and throughout the visitor lifecycle. With some additional human-powered research, the following examples emerged: Generating destination awareness and consideration Visit Denmark used AI and ChatGPT to script this creative marketing video aimed at enticing tourists to visit Denmark. Millennium Hotels and Resorts is creating brand awareness through its virtual presence in M Social Decentraland. They are the first hospitality group to open a hotel in the metaverse that allows players to tour the hotel with an avatar and win ‘surprises’ in the real world. Emirates Vacations recently embedded chatbot capabilities into its display ads, allowing potential visitors to input information asking about vacation options and getting travel package recommendations in return, increasing engagement by 87%. Supporting research, itinerary planning and booking The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas uses an AI-powered chatbot named Rose to provide personalized recommendations to guests, such as restaurant and activity suggestions, using natural language processing and machine learning to understand guests' preferences and make recommendations. Low-cost airline carrier Vueling is working to establish a metaverse sales channel offering users the opportunity to plan their travel, book carbon positive trips and use the tickets for actual seats on a Vueling flight. Pre-trip visitor information Qatar Airways has created its QVerse, allowing passengers to view the lounge, available amenities and services prior to flying, with an experience facilitated by a virtual hostess. Tokyo's Haneda Airport has been trialing an AI-powered Chatbot called ‘Bebot' to assist visitors with questions about airport facilities and flight information. This new application complements their existing in-airport robots that are used to provide visitors with directions, translation, and baggage handling questions. Enhancing the on-site visitor experience The Palais des Papes in Avignon, France enhances its visitor experience through the use of an augmented reality ‘Histopad’ that allows visitors to experience the rooms then and now, seeing each room as it was during the time of the sovereign popes. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam used data to analyse visitor flows, then adjust the museum’s design to reduce overcrowding, congestion and shift visitors to less-visited areas. Sharing memories to foster advocacy The Skyline gondola in Queenstown, NZ uses AI-powered cameras to capture visitors' experiences on its gondola rides and provide personalized video souvenirs. If you’re looking for ways to move visitors down the path-to-purchase, here are five ways that ChatGPT suggests using AI to achieve this goal: Personalized recommendations: AI can analyze visitor data to provide personalized recommendations for attractions, accommodations, and activities that match visitors' interests and preferences. By providing targeted recommendations, destinations can increase the likelihood of visitors making a purchase. Chatbots and virtual assistants: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide real-time assistance to visitors as they navigate the path-to-purchase. They can answer questions, provide information, and guide visitors to purchase opportunities. Dynamic pricing: AI can analyze visitor data to adjust pricing in real-time based on demand, availability, and visitor behaviour. This can help businesses maximize revenue by optimizing pricing to match visitor demand. Predictive analytics: AI can analyze visitor data to predict visitor likelihood of making a purchase and target relevant marketing messages and promotions, optimizing destination marketing spend and increasing yield. Recommendation engines: AI-powered recommendation engines can analyze visitor data to suggest complementary products and services that can enhance the visitor experience and encourage additional purchases, both increasing revenue per visitor and creating a more satisfying experience for the visitor. Suggested articles: Accenture. (2022, September 15). Why the metaverse really matters for travel. Retrieved from https://www.accenture.com/us-en/blogs/compass-travel-blog/metaverse-travel Olsen, B. (2023, 25 April). AI and the travel industry. What does it all mean? Retrieved from https://roadbook.com/travel/ai-technology-the-travel-industry/ Weed, J. (2023, 16 March). Can ChatGTP plan your vacation? Here’s what to know about AI and travel. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/16/travel/chatgpt-artificial-intelligence-travel-vacation.html

We are delighted to announce that Jolene Lammers has joined the Tourism Café team as our new Training Support Coordinator. Our online search generated hundreds of applicants within the tourism sector and beyond, and our entire team participated in the hiring process and final selection. She will be replacing Diana Gould who will plans to enjoy retirement to the fullest. Jolene is an experienced tourism professional with a secret cache of technical skills that are ideal for taking the lead on our day-to-day training activities associated with our learning management system, and participant and project support. Her industry knowledge spans destination development, stakeholder relations and communications, brand development, website, and social media management, and she was a Tourism Resiliency Advisor supporting businesses through the COVID—19 recovery activities. Throughout Jolene’s career, her technical knowledge has supported multiple companies, and this will now be a lead role with the Tourism Cafe. As one former employer shared “She is a can-do person, with a bubbly personality, a talent for problem solving, working with technology and helping others learn.” She will be departing the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association, for this new chapter of her career, an organization we have worked with for many years. As we prepare for this evolution in our relationships, CCCTA CEO Amy Thacker shared: “The tourism industry is at a pivotal time in staging for the future. As companies evolve and prepare for that future, many people in our industry are planning the next chapter of their career. We wish Jolene all the best in her new adventure and are happy that her talents will remain in the tourism industry.”

MEET OUR TEAM Our company’s expertise in tourism training and industry development grew from our passion for travel as tourism operators and educators. Our core team has management and operational tourism experience combined with formal academic training and research credentials. It’s a wicked combination of theory and practice that benefits all the work we do. Nancy Arsenault Managing Partner ​ LinkedIn | Email Read More Lesley Anderson Training & Development Manager ​ LinkedIn | Email Read More Kristi Denby Sustainable Tourism Development Specialist ​ LinkedIn | Email Read More Paul Arsenault Finance & Operations ​ LinkedIn | Email Read More Fernanda Macedo E-Course & Graphic Designer ​ LinkedIn | Email Read More Jolene Lammers Training Support Coordinator ​ LinkedIn | Email Read More Marco Arsenault Bilingual Course Reviewer ​ LinkedIn | Email Read More COLLABORATING PARTNERS Margaret Doyle What's Your Story ​ LinkedIn Jane Osler PJ Osler & Associates ​ LinkedIn Rob & Jane Weiss RW Networks Inc. ​ LinkedIn Lori McCarthy Food Culture Place ​ LinkedIn Patrick Twomey 2metours ​ LinkedIn Greg Hopf Moccasin Trails ​ LinkedIn Chief Frank Antoine Moccasin Trails ​ LinkedIn Richard Innes Brain Trust Marketing & Communications ​ LinkedIn Dee Enright JEBBCA Strategies & Holdings ​ LinkedIn Todd Lucier Northern Edge Algonquin ​ LinkedIn Terry Marie Dowe Niagara Niche Tours ​ LinkedIn Bonnie Mitchell Mitchell Creative ​ LinkedIn

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