How Generative AI is Revolutionizing Tourism: Storytelling, Customer Feedback & Ethics

Generative AI is rapidly reshaping tourism, offering tools for immersive storytelling, enhanced customer feedback analysis, and responsible innovation. Dive into the opportunities and challenges tourism professionals face in this tech-driven landscape.

Author: Minna Ahlstén

How generative AI is shaping the future of tourism

Generative AI is quickly moving from tech industry buzzword to real-world application, transforming how businesses interact with customers and reshape their services. For the tourism industry, this shift opens up intriguing possibilities for storytelling, personalization, and operational efficiency. At the recent Digikaappaus (2024) event, experts discussed the latest innovations in AI and how they could impact everything from visitor engagement to ethical practices within organizations. Here is a look at some of the most promising developments and what they mean for tourism professionals.

One of the most exciting applications of generative AI in tourism is its potential for immersive storytelling. Imagine visiting a historical site where you are not only surrounded by centuries-old architecture but can also interact with the location itself, almost like a character in a story. This is exactly what tools like BIM-GPT can offer. Originally developed for the architecture and construction sectors, BIM-GPT allows 3D-modeled buildings to “chat” with users, answering questions like “Where is the main electricity cabinet?” or, for a more tourism-focused application, “What events took place in this room?” (Ojanperä 2024.) This type of AI-driven interaction has the potential to turn static landmarks into interactive experiences, enriching the storytelling aspect of tourism. Instead of just passively observing a historical building, visitors could engage with it, uncovering stories and details that deepen their connection to the place.

Another tool generating buzz is Google’s Notebook LM, which has shown promising capabilities for creating content like podcasts from academic articles (Ojanperä 2024). For tourism, this opens the door to easily creating audio guides or narrated stories for travelers. Imagine a podcast that can offer insights on a city’s cultural history, based on deep analysis of scholarly sources, all generated with minimal human intervention. Such tools could make it easier for tourism businesses to offer high-quality, engaging content that is readily accessible to tourists looking for more context on the places they visit.

Is it ethical to use AI?

Of course, while AI’s creative potential in tourism is impressive, it also brings important ethical considerations to the forefront. At the panel discussions, industry experts stressed that AI should be seen as a support tool, not a replacement for human insight and ethical responsibility. One major point is around privacy. While AI can analyze customer feedback and make data-driven suggestions to improve services, businesses need to handle this data responsibly. Confidential information should never be fed into free or publicly accessible AI tools, as it could compromise customer trust. And as AI becomes more integrated into everyday operations, organizations should appoint a responsible person to oversee its usage, ensuring that data is handled ethically, and AI tools are used within clear guidelines.

Ethical questions also extend to AI’s broader societal impact. One concern raised at Digikaappaus was about representation in AI-generated content. Since generative AI models tend to reflect societal biases, there is a risk that minority groups could be misrepresented in AI-created media (Bäckström 2024). For tourism, this means being cautious about the images or narratives generated by AI tools, especially if they are intended to represent diverse groups. By being aware of these issues, tourism businesses can avoid unintentional biases in their marketing and ensure they are being inclusive in how they portray different cultures and communities.

What’s next?

In addition to storytelling and ethics, AI offers practical applications that can help tourism businesses improve customer satisfaction and staff engagement. For instance, analyzing customer feedback with AI can reveal trends and pain points, allowing businesses to address issues more proactively. Similarly, staff satisfaction surveys supported by AI can provide insights into employee well-being, helping companies create a healthier, more productive work environment. This kind of feedback analysis does not just improve the customer experience—it also helps build a better, more motivated team. (Suni 2024).

Yet, for many tourism businesses, especially smaller ones, the idea of integrating AI into their operations might feel daunting. This is where accessible AI tools, like ChatGPT, become invaluable. For entrepreneurs who are not sure where to start, simply asking ChatGPT for step-by-step guidance can provide a roadmap, breaking down the process of implementing AI tools in manageable steps. Moreover, in countries like Finland, there are even financial support programs available to help small businesses get started with AI, making the transition more feasible for those with limited resources (Issakainen 2024).

However, the adoption of AI also brings new challenges, particularly in terms of infrastructure. High-performance computing power, like that of the LUMI supercomputer in Finland, is increasingly valuable in the race to advance AI technologies. But such infrastructure is costly and energy-intensive, raising concerns about sustainability. Google’s recent investment in small modular reactors to power its data centers is a striking example of the lengths organizations are going to in order to support AI’s energy demands. While these developments may lead to more sustainable options in the future, they currently underscore the environmental footprint of AI. (Savolainen 2024.)

As we look to the future, it’s clear that generative AI holds incredible promise for the tourism industry. From enriching visitor experiences through interactive storytelling to optimizing feedback and operational processes, the possibilities are vast. But with these advancements come ethical and logistical challenges that tourism businesses will need to navigate carefully. By approaching AI with an open yet cautious mindset—leveraging its strengths while respecting its limits—tourism professionals can unlock new levels of engagement and efficiency, ultimately enhancing the travel experience for visitors around the world.

References

Bäckström, A. 2024. Artificial intelligence and responsibility. Panel discussion at Digikaappaus 2024, Lappeenranta, 31 Oct 2024.

Digikaappaus. 2024. Tekoäly tulevaisuuden työelämässä. Cited 1 Nov 2024. Available at https://www.digikaappaus.com/

Issakainen, S. 2024. Artificial intelligence in Southeast Finland. Panel discussion at Digikaappaus 2024, Lappeenranta, 31 Oct 2024.

Ojanperä, T. 2024. Artificial intelligence in business. Presentation at Digikaappaus 2024, Lappeenranta, 31 Oct 2024.

Savolainen, J. 2024. How Finnish companies can leverage LUMI-supercomputer – one of the world’s most efficient artificial intelligence platforms. Presentation at Digikaappaus 2024, Lappeenranta, 31 Oct 2024.

Suni, V. 2024. Artificial intelligence in Southeast Finland. Panel discussion at Digikaappaus 2024, Lappeenranta, 31 Oct 2024.