In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has moved from science fiction into everyday life. From predictive text on smartphones to personalized recommendations on streaming platforms, AI is reshaping how we interact with information. The tourism industry is no exception. But as AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT, Mindtrip, and Perplexity become increasingly capable of delivering instant travel suggestions, tourism offices face an existential question: What is our role in an AI-powered world?
While some see AI as a threat to their relevance, the more strategic and forward-looking tourism offices are choosing a different path. They are embracing AI not as a competitor, but as a collaborator — a powerful tool to enhance their mission, not erase it.
AI in tourism: From Automation to Augmentation
AI is often misunderstood as a tool of replacement. But in reality, its most effective application in tourism is augmentation. Rather than sidelining human advisors, AI can be used to multiply their efficiency, consistency, and personalization capabilities.
Consider a typical visitor interaction: an advisor asks a few questions, filters through a mental database of POIs, checks opening times, maybe prints a brochure, then highlights relevant spots. This process is rich in knowledge but time-consuming, repetitive, and often inconsistent depending on the advisor.
Now imagine this advisor armed with a tool that instantly processes visitor interests, current events, language preferences, and even weather forecasts to generate a tailored itinerary — complete with descriptions, summaries, and translations. That’s not science fiction. That’s the promise of platforms like Roadpress, which integrates AI to create ultra-personalized travel booklets in seconds.
Efficiency vs. Empathy: A false dichotomy
Critics often frame AI as the enemy of human connection. But this binary thinking fails to consider the potential for synergy. When repetitive tasks are offloaded to AI, human advisors are free to focus on what they do best: empathizing, guiding, and enriching the visitor experience.
In fact, early adopters of AI in tourism report that their advisors feel more connected to their role. They are less bogged down by routine admin and more focused on meaningful interactions. Platforms like Roadpress not only speed up content creation, but also allow for strategic reuse of existing assets, freeing up creative energy rather than stifling it.
Tourist expectations Have changed. So must our tools.
The rise of AI is not just a technological shift; it’s a reflection of evolving user expectations. Travelers today demand:
- Instant information in their language
- Hyper-personalized suggestions
- Seamless digital experiences
Traditional tourism offices, reliant on paper brochures, static desks, and fragmented databases, are structurally misaligned with these demands. AI bridges this gap. But only if it is integrated intelligently, and with local contex
That’s where AI-powered plugins like Roadpress stand out: they work within existing CMS (like WordPress), reuse curated content, and generate multilingual guides tailored to each visitor’s profile. Advisors retain editorial control, but gain unprecedented speed and scale.
Data-Driven Decision-Making: From Reactive to Proactive
Another overlooked benefit of AI is its role in strategic planning. Every itinerary generated, every interest selected by a visitor, is a data point. Over time, this builds a map of traveler behaviors, preferences, and seasonal patterns.
Rather than relying on annual surveys or anecdotal insights, tourism offices can now analyze real-time data to:
- Identify underserved visitor profiles
- Adjust promotional efforts
- Anticipate crowding in certain zones
Roadpress, for example, combines AI-generated content with visitor qualification forms to provide actionable insights — not just for daily operations, but for long-term territorial strategy.
Conclusion: AI as a strategic ally
The debate is no longer about whether AI will impact tourism — it already has. The real question is whether tourism offices will choose to fight against the tide or ride the wave.
AI is not a replacement for human advisors. It is an amplifier of their strengths and a buffer against their constraints. For offices willing to rethink their workflows, platforms like Roadpress offer not just survival, but evolution.
Tourism offices must stop asking “How do we compete with AI?” and start asking: “How can we use AI to become indispensable again?”
The answer lies not in resisting the machine, but in mastering it.