Qais Ammori, Chief Digital & Technology Officer, Almosafer
Can you describe the current AI trends that are reshaping the travel industry and how these trends are influencing Almosafer’s strategy?
AI is transforming the travel and tourism sector in ways that were unimaginable in the past and in many ways unmappable for the future. But there is no doubt that AI can help unlock the full potential of a country’s tourism sector today. From hyper-personalization to dynamic pricing and revenue management, predictive analytics is helping the travel industry enhance customer experience while boosting tourism revenue. AI algorithms can help maximise revenue while offering personalized and competitive deals to customers.
Saudi Arabia’s ambitious tourism goals stand to benefit by leveraging these AI trends to cater to a diverse range of travelers, whether they be luxury seekers or cultural explorers.
Almosafer’s strategy has always revolved around the customer. We are a customer-centric company with a sharp focus on excellence. AI is merely a tool that helps us achieve this with greater efficiency through targeted marketing and hyper-personalized offers through our app and across our digital touchpoints, all the while optimizing resources and maximizing revenue.
What role do AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants play in your customer service, and how have they improved customer engagement and support?
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are revolutionizing customer engagement by providing 24/7, personalized, and efficient service. But we need to remember that they’re not replacing human agents; they’re merely augmenting them, allowing businesses to provide a superior customer experience at scale. They are essential for any business looking to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
And it’s not just about automating tasks; it’s about creating a more engaging, personalized, and efficient customer experience. They’re powerful tools for building relationships, empowering customers, and driving business growth.
At Almosafer we use a lot of AI capabilities to better understand the intent of our customers across our channels. We have provided our agents with AI Copilots that enable them to anticipate user needs and deliver relevant support that will generate loyalty towards our brand.
In what ways are predictive analytics and machine learning being used to tailor travel suggestions and optimize itineraries for your users?
Predictive analytics and machine learning have altered how we plan and experience travel. By analyzing vast amounts of data and learning from user behavior, we are today able to tailor travel suggestions and optimize itineraries for a more seamless experience. It’s all about making travel more enjoyable, efficient, and memorable.
Predictive analytics helps us to drive the bottom line by providing better business insights. We utilize Machine Learning (ML) to dynamically recommend hotels and flights, ensuring our customers enjoy a seamless experience across all our digital platforms.
How does AI help Almosafer improve operational efficiency, from dynamic pricing to managing travel disruptions or route optimization?
AI is no longer just a tick in the box; it’s a fundamental shift in how travel operations are managed. Through automation, predictive analytics, and optimization, we can drive efficiency and resilience without losing focus on profitability. In the end, it is a win-win situation when we can optimize resources, drive revenue, and provide an enhanced customer experience.
Looking ahead, what emerging AI technologies or innovations do you foresee having the biggest impact on the travel industry, and how is Almosafer preparing for these changes?
When it comes to AI, it is evident that companies that embrace change by proactively preparing for the future are the ones most likely to thrive. For that we need to invest in a robust infrastructure even as we adapt technological innovations with the ultimate aim of curating exceptional travel experiences.
We don’t claim to know everything at this stage, but we are actively experimenting, learning, and investing in our team. At Almosafer we want every team member to be hands on with AI so we can all add value to the business and our customers. Our employees undergo regular training on high-level AI certifications, and we have embarked on many internal initiatives to ensure we are up-to-date on current trends.
The best way to prepare is to make sure we have a team ready to embrace the future. We are also aware that for AI to work well, it needs access to the right kind of data. Almosafer’s proprietary data enables us to capitalize on our most valuable asset even as we work towards ensuring data security keeping government regulations in mind.
As AI becomes more integral to your operations, how do you see the balance between human expertise and AI-driven processes evolving within the travel agency business?
Travel is an experience and people still crave human connection. I truly believe the human touch is what will ultimately differentiate all of us within this competitive market. AI-generated bots will never be able to override human agents. While AI can definitely drive efficiency and scale, it’s all about augmentation and not replacement. When used strategically, combining human expertise and AI-driven processes can create a powerful synergy to help deliver exceptional customer experience and drive business growth.
