DESTINATION AND TOURISM
geekwire | April 06, 2023
For many travelers, technology long ago supplanted travel agents for the basic booking of flights, hotels, and excursions. But how quickly will artificial intelligence replace humans for trusted travel advice?
That’s the larger question behind Expedia’s announcement this morning that it will offer a new “travel planning experience” powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Debuting today on Expedia’s iOS app, it’s part of a growing wave of AI-powered travel- and trip-planning technologies from a variety of startups and app developers.
Travel advice is already one of the most commonly cited scenarios for people using ChatGPT in its raw form or in Microsoft’s Bing search engine, for example. However, Expedia’s significant presence in travel makes this rollout especially interesting as a gauge of AI’s potential to serve in a role traditionally left to human expertise.
One of the ways Expedia is trying to differentiate its ChatGPT implementation is by automatically saving hotels discussed during a chat session to a “trip” in the app to make it easier to book a stay.
This capability will expand later to other forms of reservations, including flights and rental cars, Expedia CTO Rathi Murthy told the Wall Street Journal.
On the topic of privacy, Expedia won’t share customer data with OpenAI from ChatGPT searches in the app, but it may use the data in the future to further personalize the experience, Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern told the WSJ.
For now, Expedia is classifying the initial feature on iOS as a beta, which means it’s not necessarily ready for prime time.
For example, Lance Ulanoff reports on TechRadar this morning that he encountered a bug in which the app didn’t save his preferred hotel after he tested the chat function to plan a hypothetical family vacation.
Expedia says it will “rapidly evolve the experience” based on how people use it.
“It’s also important to remember that while many measures have been taken to limit inaccurate results and inappropriate responses, at times the experience may not work exactly as expected,” the company adds. “Feedback from both our employees and all those using the experience will be continually looked at to make sure responses meet our standards.”
In other words, your mileage may vary, perhaps literally.
Ultimately, this rollout promises to be an important test for this emerging era of generative AI. Just be sure to double-check its accuracy in the meantime before spending thousands on a trip to Europe.
About Expedia Group
At Expedia Group we believe that travel is a force for good it opens minds, builds connections, and bridges divides. We create transformative tech that fuels partner growth while enabling unforgettable experiences for all travelers, everywhere. Our trusted family of brands are known and loved by millions, and we power more trips than anyone else. To learn more about our vision of a more open world through travel, visit www.expediagroup.com.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
TravelCenters of America | March 17, 2023
TravelCenters of America Inc., nationwide operator and franchisor of the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express travel center network, announced today exciting updates to its full-service restaurant business.
Chef Maira Isabel now serves as TA’s Corporate Executive Chef, and will focus on adding flavorful, healthy offerings and integrating food trends and regional specialties into the menus of TA’s Country Pride and Iron Skillet restaurants. Before moving to the US, Chef Maira was a chef and on-air talent for multiple television shows for many years and was the Puerto Rico hostess of Bizarre Foods – Travel Channel. Her career has spanned TV, print and online publications including the Cooking Network, Travel Channel and Food & Beverage Magazine and she is a best-selling cookbook author. She has spent time perfecting her culinary skills in Italy, France, Colombia, Spain, Mexico and Morocco.
With over 150 full-service restaurants nationwide, TA continues expanding its portfolio to serve the needs of all travelers. In addition to proprietary brands Country Pride and Iron Skillet, TA launched Fork & Compass in January 2023 in Perrysburg, Ohio. Fork & Compass is designed to be an attractive option for all travelers and a destination spot for the community, with unique food options in a casual, comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere. TA also added five IHOPs and two Black Bear Diners in 2022, with plans to open more full-service restaurants this year.
TA will continue supporting the health and well-being of all travelers through its collaboration with Cleveland Clinic. Chef Maira’s menus will offer healthy meal options approved by Cleveland Clinic and highlighted with a heart-healthy logo. TA plans to expand beyond these menu offerings by working with Cleveland Clinic to identify healthy snack and grab-and-go food options in its travel stores.
“Chef Maira’s diverse background working in restaurants around the world, coupled with her sincere passion and enthusiasm, will elevate the sit-down dining experience at our travel centers,” said Lloyd Sanford, SVP, Hospitality. “Every culinary decision will be focused on ensuring we deliver on our mission of returning every traveler to the road better than they came.”
About TravelCenters of America
TravelCenters of America Inc. is the nation's largest publicly traded full-service travel center network. Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, its over 18,000 team members serve guests in 285 locations in 44 states, principally under the TA®, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express® brands. Offerings include diesel and gasoline fuel, truck maintenance and repair, full-service and quick-service restaurants, travel stores, car and truck parking and other services dedicated to providing great experiences for its guests. TA is committed to sustainability, with its specialized business unit, eTA, focused on sustainable energy options for professional drivers and motorists. TA operates over 600 full-service and quick-service restaurants and nine proprietary brands, including Iron Skillet® and Country Pride.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
prnewswire | May 09, 2023
Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), recently signed a new partnership with Egyptian Tourism Authority as part of its efforts to boost tourism in the region.
This partnership is aimed at promoting Egypt's rich history, culture, and tourism opportunities. Through this campaign under the theme "In Egypt, your expectations are history", Wego will work closely with Egyptian Tourism Authority to promote this campaign on all its marketing channels and bring travelers the best of Egypt's summer and Eid Al Adha celebrations, including festivals, events, and attractions.
Mamoun Hmedan, CCO and MD, MENA and India, Wego, said: "We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Egyptian Tourism Authority. Egypt is a perfect destination for travelers looking for a mix of history, culture, and adventure. Summer and Eid Al Adha are the ideal times to visit Egypt. We have recorded over 24 million searches from MENA to Egypt between 1 January to 27 April 2023 and we expect to see a surge around the Eid Al Adha period."
Wego will be presenting its users with a comprehensive guide highlighting the best places to visit, things to do, and experiences to enjoy. To reward travelers, a social media competition will run online to give people the chance to visit this must-see destination.
Egypt has a variety of activities and experiences to offer visitors during summer and Eid Al Adha. Travelers can explore ancient monuments as Egypt is home to some of the world's most iconic ancient monuments, including the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the temples of Luxor and Aswan.
Amr ElKady, CEO of Egyptian Tourism Authority, commented: "We are excited to partner with Wego for another year. With Egypt's rich cultural heritage, diverse landscape, and welcoming people, and Wego's large user base in MENA, we are confident that we can attract more visitors to Egypt and provide them with an unforgettable experience."
Suzan Mostafa, General director of Tourism Promotion at Egyptian Tourism Authority, said: "We are thrilled to partner with Wego and promote our country through this joint campaign. We will benefit from Wego's large user base in the MENA region, which will enable us to drive more traffic to Egypt and attract holidaymakers in the summer season."
During this period, Egypt comes alive with music, dance, and traditional festivities. Moreover, tourists can explore Egypt's stunning beaches, desert landscapes, all of which make Egypt a unique and unforgettable destination.
About Wego
Wego provides award-winning travel search websites and top-ranked mobile apps for travelers living in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. Wego harnesses powerful yet simple to use technology that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airlines, hotels, and online travel agency websites.
Wego presents an unbiased comparison of all travel products and prices offered in the marketplace by merchants, both local and global, and enables shoppers to quickly find the best deal and place to book whether it is from an airline or hotel directly or with a third-party aggregator website.
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