6.2.2 CHATBOTS
Chatbots are a huge new trend, which influences and changes communication in the tourism industry. Chatbots are text-based, automated dialogue systems, digital robots using artificial intelligence, which - in ideal cases - allow companies to automate and thus scale dialogues with (potential) customers in messenger apps. Tourism companies using chatbots are Expedia or Kayak, for example. Chatbots can mainly be used with structured data or for standardised requests.
The example shows a conversation with the Expedia chatbot used for a hotel search. The same can be seen for flight search on Kayak.
Chatbots cannot be purchased as standardised products yet, they are always programmed individually. Not always, they work perfectly. It will take some time for chatbots to develop their full potential. We will definitely see great developments in the years to come, and chatbots will probably find their way to mass market. An important factor is development of the artificial intelligence so that users are not longer capable of noticing whether their chat partner is a human being or a bot.
Summary
- Messengers are the most commonly used social networks
- Messenger marketing will become the most interesting social media marketing channel
- Messengers offer new ways of communication with customers
- Messenger marketing is extremely used with official commercial functions
- Chatbots quickly and efficiently convert booking requests in bookings