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In my last article, I spoke about the fear that so many people, in as many different industries, have of AI taking jobs and replacing humans in their traditional roles. Hopefully I managed to allay many of these fears by pointing out the crucial role that humans will always play, especially in a people-driven industry like Travel and Tourism. I concluded the article by pointing out that AI cannot replace the human touch in Tourism, particularly in areas requiring emotional intelligence and nuanced decision-making and that the future belongs to AI-assisted humans, not human-assisted AI. In essence, I really do believe that AI can enhance human roles at the same time as having a massive impact on operational efficiency.
In the same article, I also promised to share a few examples of where and how AI can so greatly enhance our industry and our people, and to do that, I would like to again refer to a report from ‘PhocusWire’ on some of the key takeaways that emerged from the recently held Tourise 2025 conference in Saudi Arabia. One of these was on how AI can optimise airport operations by analysing data and streamlining processes, but how much more effective these advancements can be when there is a human element guiding and utilising it in exactly the right areas.
A formula 1 analogy
I loved an analogy that Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, used to demonstrate how AI could improve efficiency and customer experience at airports. According to the report, he said, ‘In the 1970s, a pit stop took 47 seconds. Today it takes three. If we can bring that same data-driven precision to airports, we can make travel faster, smoother and infinitely more customer-friendly.’ Griffiths went on to describe how AI and automation are helping Dubai Airport, one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs, to orchestrate thousands of moving parts, from flight arrivals and refueling to passenger flow and contingency management, in real time. ‘The goal isn’t just efficiency,’ said Griffiths, ‘it’s resilience under disruption. When things go wrong, we can now serve customers better, minimise delays and make smarter decisions.
…but people still matter!
It still comes down to the human element enabling and enhancing AI. For those who fear losing their jobs, Griffiths went on to make this important statement: “AI’s true value lies not behind the scenes, but in the ears of his people’’ and then gave a perfect example of how humans and AI working together can be a formidable partnership, “If I can empower our front-line staff with AI in their ear, so when a traveller asks a question they can get an instant answer while still delivering it in a human way, that’s the future,”
The AI revolution
Just as we had the Industrial revolution, and more than the IT revolution, I believe we are now experiencing a new revolution in the form of AI, just like we had massive initial resistance to the IT revolution and the introduction of the internet, AI too will be feared and hated by many. We need to accept, however that it is here to stay and as it has already demonstrated, it can revolutionise every area of human existence, from medicine to art. If we fear and misuse it, it will control us. But if we embrace, guide and utilise it as an amazing partner, we will remain in control, and it will enhance our lives in so many ways. In fairness, after so much reference to Paul Griffiths’ input, I will leave the last word to him, as he firmly believes future investment in Tourism must be split evenly between technology and people: “You can’t have one without the other, ‘’ he concluded, ‘’Technology enables humans to do their jobs better.”
Lidia de Olim
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER