As accessible travel continues to grow, Camilo Navarro, co-founder and COO of Wheel the World, believes that more travelers will start conversations about accessibility with artificial intelligence (AI).
“They're going to need this type of information—accessibility data, for instance,” Navarro said during an interview in the PhocusWire studio at The Phocuswright Conference.
To help users with accessibility needs, Wheel the World, a PhocusWire Hot 25 Travel Startup for 2022, is developing a conversational AI chatbot. According to Navarro, the chatbot will use proprietary data and information from customer profiles throughout conversations.
He also believes other travel brands should be preparing their data and making accessibility accommodations visible for AI.
“AI without data is worthless,” Navarro said.
He gave an example: If a traveler is asking ChatGPT about the height of a bed at a specific hotel, it's unlikely that the tool will be able to provide an answer.
“Or if you say, ‘Let me know if there's a ramp in this place or not’ … you're not going to get an answer, because they need that accessible information,” he said.
The interview also touched on how prioritizing accessibility can be a business opportunity, how technology has changed accessible travel over the last few years and more.
Watch the full interview with PhocusWire's Morgan Hines below.
Ramping up accessible travel