Sertifi Reflects on Women Leading Travel & Hospitality’s New Report on Technology and Empathy Intersection 

Women Leading Travel & Hospitality recently published their report, The Synergy of Technology and Empathy in Transforming Customer and Employee Experiences, giving insight into how the use of smart technology can potentially impact customers and employees, as well as the importance of finding balance between tech and touch. We dug deep into the report to gather our own insights. Here’s what we found: 

AI Is Everywhere

Smart technologies – including AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, and sentiment analytics – are trending, and their popularity is shedding light on what the future holds for the travel and hospitality industry. From streamlining operations to enhancing customer and employee experiences to finding new ways to drive business growth, the report states that AI solutions are being explored and implemented everywhere, actively reshaping how business is carried out. 

Guests Are Setting the Tone 

The smarter technology being implemented is, the more guests will use it – ultimately reshaping how travelers plan, book, and experience their trips. The report suggests that guests already find frictionless workflows to be essential when booking travel experiences and expect seamless booking processes, opening a door for AI to be introduced. Recounted in the report, in a survey conducted by Adobe Analytics where 3,000 travelers were asked about their booking habits, it was found that AI is most helpful to guests when they are booking the following services: 

• 57% – Hotels 

• 47% – Flights 

• 42% – Combination of Travel Options 

• 42% – Restaurants 

• 37% – Cars 

• 35% – Excursions 

Existing Processes Are Carving the Path 

Some areas of the industry have already seen success after leveraging AI and are therefore impacting how, why, and where AI is adopted in other areas. Specific tasks that have seen success include demand forecasting, fraud detection, language translation, and travel risk management, all of which have contributed to making the industry more efficient, responsive, and resilient as it evolves.  

Professionals Are Bringing the Balance 

The report states that, while technology is one of the keys to innovation, the heart of the industry still lies within the humans who provide a more personal touch. In other words, using AI to not only enhance the customer experience but also create an ideal employee experience should be the goal. According to the report, both can lead to increased loyalty, resulting in cost savings (employee retention) and revenue gains (customer retention). By automating paper pushing and mundane office work, companies can allow their employees to focus on delivering the best guest experience through empathy, creativity, and critical thinking therefore enhancing productivity and problem solving. 

Conclusion

AI and other smart technologies are something for the travel and hospitality industry to look forward to and accept with open arms. As the report states, AI should be used to enhance both guests’ and employees’ experiences by automating repetitive tasks, streamlining workflows, analyzing data, and improving job performance. AI has already created a space for itself within the travel and hospitality industry and is expected by guests to create memorable experiences and meaningful interactions. As organizations in the industry explore AI integration, we encourage them to remember that as AI enhances efficiency, it also makes room for more empathy. 

Thank you to Women Leading Travel & Hospitality for curating such an insightful report!