Travel service provider Trip.com has introduced TripGenie, an AI travel assistant incorporated into its mobile app and designed to essentially change travel planning and booking on its platform.
With the utilization of large language model technologies, TripGenie aims to enhance the user experience by offering personalized and intuitive travel solutions, catering to all aspects of the travel journey. TripGenie boasts a few new capabilities such as deciphering complex user requests, providing immediate and relevant app results and facilitating seamless communication through voice and text input.
Amy Wei, senior product director at Trip.com and product owner of TripGenie, emphasized the human-like and intuitive conversation flow that TripGenie provides. By interpreting user inputs and responding with rich text, images and related pages, TripGenie represents a significant step towards an efficient “super AI assistant” for users.
According to the company, the capabilities of TripGenie extend beyond traditional booking functions. For instance, when asked about planning a trip to a particular destination, TripGenie provides detailed recommendations for tourist spots, shopping destinations and offers booking links and images, all within a conversational interface. The “My Itinerary” feature allows users to save and structure their travel plans for future convenience.
In terms of data and to improve the quality of responses, TripGenie draws information from Trip.com’s other travel ranking content, including Trip.Deals, Trip.Best, and Trip.Trends.
Additionally, TripGenie introduces a new concept known as the language user interface (LUI). The LUI allows users to interact with the AI assistant through a semi-transparent overlay, enabling users to type or voice their queries without interrupting their browsing experience. The algorithm of TripGenie auto-populates relevant fields and offers contextual assistance throughout the process.
Schubert Lou, chief operating officer of Trip.com, chalked TripGenie’s capabilities to the simplification and personalization of the travel experience.
The capabilities of TripGenie are the natural next steps since the initial launch of the AI travel assistant TripGen in February. The company is also confident that TripGenie will undergo further enhancements in the future. Upcoming upgrades will include a virtual tour guide feature that focuses on extra immersion.
*This story originally appeared in Web in Travel.