Tourism 3.0: Navigating Digital Transformation in an AI-Powered Future
At the recent Travel & Tech conference, tourism leaders explored AI's role in digital transformation while preserving authentic travel experiences.
At the recent Travel & Tech conference, tourism leaders explored AI's role in digital transformation while preserving authentic travel experiences.
At the recent Travel & Tech conference in the Netherlands, DTTT's Founder & CEO Nick Hall led a thought-provoking panel discussion that explored one central question: As the tourism industry stands on the precipice of an AI-powered future, how can stakeholders work together to harness technology for good—driving innovation, efficiency and growth while preserving the authentic human experiences at the heart of travel?
The session delved into the opportunities and challenges of tourism's digital transformation, with Sanne van Let from the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions, Omar van Beek from Toerisme Veluwe Arnhem Nijmegen, Rahel de Vriend from The Next Web, Lobke Elbers from Breda University of Applied Sciences and Milena Popova from Europeana as panellists. As a diverse group comprising representatives from across the tourism ecosystem, they shared different viewpoints on what is needed to drive innovation in tourism and how the sector can work together to achieve this.
The panellists painted a vivid picture of a sector in flux, grappling with tectonic shifts driven by artificial intelligence, immersive reality, big data and evolving policy frameworks. Omar noted that over 90% of the world's data was generated in just the last couple of years, underscoring the breakneck pace of change. While it is a reassuring statistic that highlights how decisions are not being made based on outdated data, in itself it poses new challenges in how the abundance of information can be rapidly translated into actionable insights. While tools such as dashboards are frequently used, the future is likely to be driven by using generative AI as a copilot. Ultimately, agentic AI will enable decisions to be taken without direct human supervision. While being exciting, Lobke observed that such developments could have "supercharged" impacts on jobs and ways of working that require careful navigation.
Policy and regulations often serve as powerful catalysts for innovation. Rahel highlighted how faced with the need to improve working conditions and increase efficiency, Schiphol Airport was compelled to explore and implement automated baggage handling systems. Drawing inspiration from more mature applications in logistics, technologies like robotics offer the potential to alleviate labour shortages and boost operational efficiency in settings like airports. In the face of these challenges, organisations are forced to re-evaluate their existing processes and explore new, more efficient and sustainable solutions. This proactive approach to addressing regulatory requirements will create competitive advantages, but requires a highly collaborative approach to ensure effective implementation of large digital transitions and overcome legacy systems.
Transforming the business models of an entire industry presents significant challenges. Existing infrastructure and established relationships within the value chain often constrain the ability to implement radical changes. As Omar referenced, technologies such as AR and VR have not become readily adopted by the sector despite being around for over a decade. The industry's fragmented nature, with numerous players operating independently, hinders the development and widespread adoption of innovative solutions. At the same time, the dominance of a few large players can stifle competition from innovative startups, with these cultivating a supportive ecosystem that encourages experimentation and the deployment of cutting-edge solutions. This requires investing in skills development, fostering collaboration between industry players and creating an environment that supports the emergence of diverse and innovative approaches.
While the destination is clear—a more sustainable, innovative and resilient tourism sector—the roadmap for getting there is still being drawn. The panellists emphasised that succeeding with digital transformation demands more than just plugging in new tech; it requires fundamentally rethinking processes, up-skilling teams, breaking down silos and embracing a culture of experimentation.
Data emerged as a foundational enabler of transformation, but one that requires work to harness effectively. The digital landscape presents significant challenges for organisations seeking to effectively engage with their customers. It's no longer enough to simply adopt the latest technology, such as ChatGPT, without careful consideration. This requires a shift in focus from merely adopting new technologies to critically assessing their value and potential impact. As such, there's a learning curve associated with integrating new digital tools.
Lobke proposed a "vision-first" approach, designing human-centred solutions around desired end-states rather than letting new technology dictate the path. Sanne envisioned AI freeing up humans for higher-value work through smart automation. To do so, organisations must cultivate a culture of internal knowledge sharing and multi-generational exchange, moving beyond a top-down approach and embracing a collaborative and inclusive model. Having the right mindset for strategic change ensures that jobs remain interesting for employees and are designed around high-level skills. Carving out dedicated innovation time and space, even for small businesses firefighting day-to-day pressures provides opportunities to test new approaches. She advised that "By automating mundane tasks, you free up hours to reinvest in ideation. Start small and build momentum".
As the discussion turned to future-proofing, a key theme was the importance of striking the right balance between leaning into innovation and nailing operational basics, such as improving customer interactions instead of large-scale investments in complex technologies. While digital strategies are key for large companies, they may become a burden for SMEs who do not have sufficient time to undertake the twin digital and sustainable transition. On the other hand, there is a risk that innovation is seen as a singular process rather than a continuous transition. Businesses need to take a fresh look at what it means to be successful today and consider different models and platforms that will achieve this. This offers room for identifying missing components in strategic approaches and overcoming misconceptions of the visitor funnel as a solely linear process.
The panellists cautioned against chasing technology development at the expense of core competencies. This is particularly key for building alignment with visitor expectations based on understanding differing perspectives between organisational management and travellers. Instead, it is essential to understand the drivers of profit and tap into opportunities to create competition. On this point, Milena underscored the need for careful gap analysis to identify "easy wins" and highest-value starting points specific to each business. Whether at an operational level or focused on brand development, it's important for businesses to make a start with their digital transformation journey.
Zooming out, the experts envisioned a more collaborative future in which knowledge-sharing across the tourism ecosystem becomes the norm. Rahel called for collective "bigger picture" action on major structural barriers like airport redesign. Milena spotlighted the power of open data initiatives like the European Data Spaces for Cultural Heritage & Tourism to break down silos and spawn new solutions. This platform provides access to over 60 million records from libraries and museums, solving a clear need for digitising cultural heritage artifacts. This purposeful application of data sharing is framed through high-level governance in data storage and security, creating a framework for bringing the entire sector together through clarity in data standards while individual organisations remain in control of their data. In line with the European Strategy for Data, a European Tourism Data Space is also under development following the same principles. Only when combining data can new knowledge and experiences be created.
The panellists' insights coalesced into a set of guiding principles for tourism's digital transformation:
As Lobke summed up, while there's no silver bullet, a spirit of openness, partnership and purposeful progress will be key to realising the vision of "tourism 3.0"—a tech-powered, human-centric, sustainably growing sector delivering next-generation experiences and value for all stakeholders. The journey is daunting, but the destination is worth it.
Key Takeaways
At the recent Travel & Tech conference in the Netherlands, DTTT's Founder & CEO Nick Hall led a thought-provoking panel discussion that explored one central question: As the tourism industry stands on the precipice of an AI-powered future, how can stakeholders work together to harness technology for good—driving innovation, efficiency and growth while preserving the authentic human experiences at the heart of travel?
The session delved into the opportunities and challenges of tourism's digital transformation, with Sanne van Let from the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions, Omar van Beek from Toerisme Veluwe Arnhem Nijmegen, Rahel de Vriend from The Next Web, Lobke Elbers from Breda University of Applied Sciences and Milena Popova from Europeana as panellists. As a diverse group comprising representatives from across the tourism ecosystem, they shared different viewpoints on what is needed to drive innovation in tourism and how the sector can work together to achieve this.
The panellists painted a vivid picture of a sector in flux, grappling with tectonic shifts driven by artificial intelligence, immersive reality, big data and evolving policy frameworks. Omar noted that over 90% of the world's data was generated in just the last couple of years, underscoring the breakneck pace of change. While it is a reassuring statistic that highlights how decisions are not being made based on outdated data, in itself it poses new challenges in how the abundance of information can be rapidly translated into actionable insights. While tools such as dashboards are frequently used, the future is likely to be driven by using generative AI as a copilot. Ultimately, agentic AI will enable decisions to be taken without direct human supervision. While being exciting, Lobke observed that such developments could have "supercharged" impacts on jobs and ways of working that require careful navigation.
Policy and regulations often serve as powerful catalysts for innovation. Rahel highlighted how faced with the need to improve working conditions and increase efficiency, Schiphol Airport was compelled to explore and implement automated baggage handling systems. Drawing inspiration from more mature applications in logistics, technologies like robotics offer the potential to alleviate labour shortages and boost operational efficiency in settings like airports. In the face of these challenges, organisations are forced to re-evaluate their existing processes and explore new, more efficient and sustainable solutions. This proactive approach to addressing regulatory requirements will create competitive advantages, but requires a highly collaborative approach to ensure effective implementation of large digital transitions and overcome legacy systems.
Transforming the business models of an entire industry presents significant challenges. Existing infrastructure and established relationships within the value chain often constrain the ability to implement radical changes. As Omar referenced, technologies such as AR and VR have not become readily adopted by the sector despite being around for over a decade. The industry's fragmented nature, with numerous players operating independently, hinders the development and widespread adoption of innovative solutions. At the same time, the dominance of a few large players can stifle competition from innovative startups, with these cultivating a supportive ecosystem that encourages experimentation and the deployment of cutting-edge solutions. This requires investing in skills development, fostering collaboration between industry players and creating an environment that supports the emergence of diverse and innovative approaches.
While the destination is clear—a more sustainable, innovative and resilient tourism sector—the roadmap for getting there is still being drawn. The panellists emphasised that succeeding with digital transformation demands more than just plugging in new tech; it requires fundamentally rethinking processes, up-skilling teams, breaking down silos and embracing a culture of experimentation.
Data emerged as a foundational enabler of transformation, but one that requires work to harness effectively. The digital landscape presents significant challenges for organisations seeking to effectively engage with their customers. It's no longer enough to simply adopt the latest technology, such as ChatGPT, without careful consideration. This requires a shift in focus from merely adopting new technologies to critically assessing their value and potential impact. As such, there's a learning curve associated with integrating new digital tools.
Lobke proposed a "vision-first" approach, designing human-centred solutions around desired end-states rather than letting new technology dictate the path. Sanne envisioned AI freeing up humans for higher-value work through smart automation. To do so, organisations must cultivate a culture of internal knowledge sharing and multi-generational exchange, moving beyond a top-down approach and embracing a collaborative and inclusive model. Having the right mindset for strategic change ensures that jobs remain interesting for employees and are designed around high-level skills. Carving out dedicated innovation time and space, even for small businesses firefighting day-to-day pressures provides opportunities to test new approaches. She advised that "By automating mundane tasks, you free up hours to reinvest in ideation. Start small and build momentum".
As the discussion turned to future-proofing, a key theme was the importance of striking the right balance between leaning into innovation and nailing operational basics, such as improving customer interactions instead of large-scale investments in complex technologies. While digital strategies are key for large companies, they may become a burden for SMEs who do not have sufficient time to undertake the twin digital and sustainable transition. On the other hand, there is a risk that innovation is seen as a singular process rather than a continuous transition. Businesses need to take a fresh look at what it means to be successful today and consider different models and platforms that will achieve this. This offers room for identifying missing components in strategic approaches and overcoming misconceptions of the visitor funnel as a solely linear process.
The panellists cautioned against chasing technology development at the expense of core competencies. This is particularly key for building alignment with visitor expectations based on understanding differing perspectives between organisational management and travellers. Instead, it is essential to understand the drivers of profit and tap into opportunities to create competition. On this point, Milena underscored the need for careful gap analysis to identify "easy wins" and highest-value starting points specific to each business. Whether at an operational level or focused on brand development, it's important for businesses to make a start with their digital transformation journey.
Zooming out, the experts envisioned a more collaborative future in which knowledge-sharing across the tourism ecosystem becomes the norm. Rahel called for collective "bigger picture" action on major structural barriers like airport redesign. Milena spotlighted the power of open data initiatives like the European Data Spaces for Cultural Heritage & Tourism to break down silos and spawn new solutions. This platform provides access to over 60 million records from libraries and museums, solving a clear need for digitising cultural heritage artifacts. This purposeful application of data sharing is framed through high-level governance in data storage and security, creating a framework for bringing the entire sector together through clarity in data standards while individual organisations remain in control of their data. In line with the European Strategy for Data, a European Tourism Data Space is also under development following the same principles. Only when combining data can new knowledge and experiences be created.
The panellists' insights coalesced into a set of guiding principles for tourism's digital transformation:
As Lobke summed up, while there's no silver bullet, a spirit of openness, partnership and purposeful progress will be key to realising the vision of "tourism 3.0"—a tech-powered, human-centric, sustainably growing sector delivering next-generation experiences and value for all stakeholders. The journey is daunting, but the destination is worth it.
Key Takeaways
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