In an era marked by extraordinary circumstances and change, the tourism industry has faced unprecedented challenges. But it has also revealed an equally impressive capacity for resilience and reinvention.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for rapid adaptation and the industry rose to the challenge. As we continue to move forward, integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into tourism presents an exciting opportunity to further enhance the travel experience and business operations.

The pandemic drove us all to reassess our preferences and priorities. Tourists now have a deeper awareness of health and safety and have developed an appetite for flexible booking policies, less crowded spaces and eco-tourism experiences.

The post-pandemic tourists have grown comfortable with technology, online bookings, digital check-ins and presentation technology such as augmented reality, virtual reality and projection technology.

Tourism operators have not just kept pace with these changes; they have led the charge. Service providers have offered safer, more flexible and personalised service options, shifted or consolidated their operations online and embraced tools that facilitate contactless travel experiences. Big data has become crucial for understanding and responding to evolving customer behaviours.

This pandemic-induced digital transformation has laid the groundwork for the next macro wave of change – the integration of AI. Its potential to enrich the tourism industry is vast and exciting.

AI empowers service providers and destination managers to personalise the tourist experience like never before. By analysing data on personal preferences, past behaviours and real-time context, it can tailor travel recommendations to individual tastes.

AI can also enhance operational efficiency by forecasting demand, optimising inventory, setting prices and enriching customer service.

In a post-pandemic world, AI-powered tools like crowd management and sanitation robots can also contribute to health and safety.

One of the most promising applications of AI in tourism is understanding and improving the tourist experience.

These insights can be achieved through the analysis of reviews and open-ended feedback.

AI can identify sentiment in vast volumes of tourist reviews- Dylan Seychell

AI can identify sentiment in vast volumes of tourist reviews, isolate themes and issues from feedback and predict trends based on past feedback.

Such tools could offer invaluable insights to all stakeholders in the tourism industry seeking to improve their services and destinations, aiming to enhance their appeal while remaining focused on quality.

Malta stands to significantly benefit from digitalisation and harnessing of AI. By analysing visitor reviews, AI could identify aspects travellers love, such as the uniqueness of the historical cities or the hospitality of the locals. It could also pinpoint areas for improvement, such as overcrowded attractions, streets with excessive tables and chairs, densely packed beaches with deckchairs or public transport issues.

With these insights, Malta will have the choice to strategically meet and exceed tourist expectations, ensuring its place as a desirable destination for years to come.

Embracing AI in tourism is more than just keeping pace with technology. It is about delivering a richer, more personalised and more satisfying tourist experience. It’s about providing the right services at the right time, addressing issues before they become problems and capitalising on trends as they emerge.

The pandemic has taught us that change is the only constant. But, with AI on our side, the tourism industry can face the future confidently.

It is time to see AI not as a disruption but as a valuable ally, ready to enhance our ability to explore, discover and connect in this beautiful world.

I urge the tourism industry stakeholders to consider integrating AI – it is an exciting new frontier of opportunity. The journey is just beginning.

This article is based on the research project REtics (Review Analytics), which is financed by the Malta Council for Science & Technology, for and on behalf of the Foundation for Science and Technology, through the FUSION: R&I Technology Development Programme LITE. For more information, refer to https://www.seytravel.com/retics.

Dylan Seychell is a lecturer in the Department of Artificial Intelligence and the founder of SeyTravel Ltd.