Source: Three Out of Four Business Travelers Use or Plan to Use AI for Travel, Matador Network, PR Newswire, January 16, 2024
Nearly three out of four business travelers (73%) say they use artificial intelligence to research or plan travel, or intend to do so in the future, according to a recent survey by leading travel publisher Matador Network, creator of the personal AI travel assistant GuideGeek.
“The idea of planning a trip usually conjures up images of a fun, relaxing vacation with family or friends; planning a business trip with colleagues can be much more stressful,” says Matador Network CEO Ross Borden. “GuideGeek is a tremendous ally in finding the most convenient flights for the whole team, the best restaurant recommendations, and business-friendly hotels that check all the boxes.”
The survey also found that business travelers are 44% more likely to have already used AI for travel than non-business travelers.
“In the realm of business travel, time is of the essence,” says Mohammed Mukhtar, founder of PocketAI, who travels frequently for business. “GuideGeek significantly streamlines the trip-planning process, allowing me to quickly gather insights on destinations, accommodations and local tips. Its prompt and detailed responses make it an invaluable tool for efficient decision-making. Plus, the fact that it’s accessible through WhatsApp, a platform I frequently use, adds to its convenience.”
Travelers message GuideGeek on WhatsApp or Instagram to receive instantaneous, personalized travel recommendations. GuideGeek is fluent in 45 languages and can also advise on travel safety tips, customs and local business etiquette across the globe. It can create custom itineraries within an exact budget, location and time constraint.
“Having a limited amount of time, usually in off hours to explore, is the most frustrating thing about business travel,” says Simon Bacher, CEO and co-founder of Ling. “GuideGeek was able to find attractions and restaurants that were open, and even suggested alternatives to attractions that weren’t open during my free time.”
GuideGeek’s answers are based on a mix of original Matador content, proprietary datasets and OpenAI’s GPT-4 language model. GuideGeek is the most sophisticated AI in travel because Matador Network has used RLHF (reinforcement learning from human feedback) for almost a full year with human curators monitoring conversations to help train the AI and improve user experience.
“Whether traveling for business, pleasure or somewhere in between, you need a place to stay, something to eat, and to have an experience,” Borden says. “People are flocking to GuideGeek to plan vacations as well as business trips because AI is a valuable asset every step of the way, no matter the reason you’re traveling. Whether you need a full week’s itinerary or a quick suggestion in a pinch, GuideGeek takes care of business.”