As the year comes to a close, we figured what better way to usher in 2024 than by talking about the future of travel with the people who are a part of the industry’s new and upcoming demographic – Gen Z. We caught up with a few students from the Singapore Institute of Technology and asked them questions about travel, technology, social media, and sustainability.
Check out their candid answers in this video:
We also got these tech students to attend WiT Singapore 2023 to be a part of The Human Revolution. Here are their key takeaways from the event, along with learnings they personally gleaned from the panels that were put together at the event.
Technology has a profound impact on many facets of the travel and tourism industry, from hotels to airlines to the sustainability efforts of the industry. AI and technology can never replace humans and the human touch – it is more about finding the balance between both and utilising technology to complement humans and to further improve on and optimise human tasks. The future of these technologies is optimistic, seeing its bright potential for growth today – we can expect to see these becoming more commonplace.
~ Jazelle Tan
It was such an enriching experience learning about technologies like Sonic Branding and DNA that work wonders by imprinting a brand on your mind unconsciously. Furthermore, with the rise of social media and the power it has to reach and impact consumers, industry professionals have shared their insights on how this strong influence has impacted their businesses. For instance, Generation Z consumers are using the platform very differently in the way they search, discover and consume content about new places and experiences.
However, as the famous movie quote goes “With great power comes great responsibility”, there is a need for companies to strengthen their security and ensure customer information and data are protected.
I also strongly believe that while technology can enhance experiences, humans still play a vital role, especially in an industry that’s all about the humanness of travel and experiences. That’s also the reason I fell in love with the hospitality industry because of how only humans have this ability to create special experiences for humans. It’s a dream I hope to achieve hand in hand with technology to bring the greatest experiences to travellers and show them what the hospitality industry is all about – People.
~ Jolene Loke
AI is definitely an inevitable part of the world and in our industry for sure. While it can greatly improve efficiency and enhance experiences for guests, it will and can never replace humans. This has been one of the topics discussed and I absolutely stand with this. It is surely assuring to know that humans can never be replaced (for now) as human touch is essential in this industry where we are talking about Hi-touch in almost everything. I supposed that this is the hidden beauty of the hospitality industry which many have yet to realised.
~ Huang Jinghui
I have always believed the Hospitality and Tourism industry are exciting ones – we serve guests from the bottom of our hearts, and we are the creators of every guest experience. Every guest, every tourist, just wants to have a memorable experience no matter where they go. However, these industries are also very uncertain, in times of crisis, such as Covid 19, they are the first to get hit. AI has been a tool to supplement businesses in coming up with unique offerings to guests, in face of the major uncertainty.
Despite the vast amount of things AI can do that humans are unable to do, there are also tasks that humans can do while AI are unable tol. In the Hospitality and Tourism industry, I take my stand that AI should not completely replace human elements, such as some face-to-face services. I feel the usage of technology is not really a replacement, but rather a trade-off between efficiency using technology, and the human touch.
~ Toh En Xuan
Parts I found interesting were the discussion on how AI itself impacted the tourism industry in many different ways with its strengths and weaknesses. Some of the things mentioned were AI being used as a language tool to make customer service more efficient and accessible at any time and day of the week. By implementing such technology into our services, tourism companies are able to refocus their time and resources on other aspects such as interacting with customers. Learning marketing in tourism in SIT, I was piqued by the topic of “sonic branding” and how it was used to uniquely identify each brand. Such branding follows its way through social media such as TikTok, capturing the attention of millennials and Generation Z for travel.
~ Chloe Ng
It was truly inspiring to hear from experts hailing from different corners of the globe, each offering their unique perspective on how technology is reshaping the travel landscape. Engaging in conversations with fellow attendees, many of whom were industry professionals, was an enriching experience that broadened my understanding of the field and provided me with valuable networking opportunities.
~ Jing Jie
I got to network with a couple of HB seniors walking down different paths in the tourism industry. It helped me to expand my view, opening my eyes to routes and roles that I never thought existed. From these various perspectives I have gained, it allowed to learn about various roles outside of the ones I usually hear about in school or in my workplace. I really enjoyed this year’s topic of technology and AI integration. This is something I have heard a lot from a school project setting, but seeing it being talked about by industry leaders really captured my interest seeing it being put into practical use.
~ Kok Hui
AI can never get to form a personal relationship with guests. The other key learning point would be working hand in hand with AI. Why must we think negatively about AI? Why not we work together with AI to make processes more efficient while still relying on human staff for the personal and emotional aspects of hospitality. I think it’s time to change the mindset and have AI help us!
~ Xiang Yee
