India-based online travel agency (OTA) Yatra Online has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) travel assistant called “DIYA.” The company said the tool will help travelers at each booking stage, from inspiration to post-booking support.
Live on the brand’s website for guest users and members, Yatra’s assistant can plan “complete trips” in one query, conduct an image search and help with flight cancellation, the generation of e-tickets and more. DIYA is available in more than 100 languages and is voice-enabled.
During the company's earnings call for the three months ending June 30, Yatra co-founder and CEO Dhruv Shringi said the acronym stands for “Digital Intelligent Yatra Advisor,” adding that it also helps “refine the search” and “book personalized travel products.”
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“AI-enabled servicing will provide us with further operating leverage in the quarters to come and a more refined service process to enable us to attract new customers to Yatra. Additionally, our expense management solution offers an end-to-end travel and expense solution with gen AI-powered receipt parsing ERP integration and advanced analytics and visualization, and continues to get very positive feedback from this initial customer,” Shringi said.
DIYA's arrival comes days after MakeMyTrip, another OTA based in India, launched its upgraded AI assistant earlier this month.
MakeMyTrip’s trip planning AI assistant is a built-out version of Myra, the AI assistant it made public last year.