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Travellers don’t think in “channels.” They message, tap, speak, or self-serve—often in the same journey. Brands that meet guests in-channel and keep context across them earn faster resolutions and higher loyalty, while running leaner. The travel rebound makes the stakes real: Travel & Tourism is on track to top $16T by 2035 and ~12% of global GDP, with the sector outpacing global growth. That rising tide will reward companies that turn fragmented touchpoints into one flowing conversation. (TravelMole)
Consider three traveller “moments of truth” where an omni-channel, AI-enabled contact centre changes outcomes.
1) Planning & booking: proactive answers beat abandonment.
Questions about visas, fees, flexible fares, or room policies commonly appear on web chat or messaging. AI assistants can surface precise policy snippets and next-best actions, while handing over to agents—complete with history—when intent is complex. Industry reports show AI in service is moving quickly from pilots to payback; leaders integrating AI with human support report strong ROI and loyalty gains, provided the approach is human-centric. (d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net)
2) Pre-trip & day-of travel: instant updates drive trust.
Customers crave speed and convenience, especially at airports. In IATA’s 2024 Global Passenger Survey, travellers said they want processes done pre-airport and embrace biometrics to move faster (with privacy assurances). Airlines and rail networks are also meeting travellers on their preferred channels: British Airways introduced free in-flight messaging, while city systems like Mumbai Metro have seen significant ticketing volumes via WhatsApp—proof that “service where I already am” isn’t just a slogan. The benefit: shorter queues, higher satisfaction, and deflected calls. (IATA)
3) Disruption & recovery: rebook in minutes, not hours.
Weather or ATC issues can swamp voice lines. With an omni-channel hub, AI triages intent, pushes targeted self-service options (rebooking, e-vouchers), and escalates sensitive cases to agents already briefed with journey context. Gartner expects agentic AI to autonomously resolve a large share of common issues by 2029, with sizable cost reductions—making resilience commercially viable, not just “nice to have.” (Gartner)
What to measure.
Customer outcomes: first-contact resolution across chat/voice, queue time, effort score, NPS after disruptions.
Commercial impact: call deflection to messaging/self-service, rebooking time, ancillary attachment when issues are resolved quickly.
Operational health: cross-channel containment, agent assist usage, and accuracy of AI answers.
How to start.
Unify IDs and context across channels (web, app, messaging, voice). Launch AI where intents are clear (policy, status, rebook windows), and design “warm handoffs” to humans. Make biometrics/privacy choices explicit—transparency boosts adoption. With travel demand strong, the brands that orchestrate channels like a single journey—rather than a hand-off maze—will be the ones customers remember for the right reasons. (World Travel & Tourism Council)
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