3 Examples of How AI and Data Are Reshaping Tourism
"The tourism industry is embracing advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven technologies as destinations leverage these tools to enhance visitor experiences, optimize operations and strengthen local economies," writes PhocusWire in a recent article.
The article highlights three destinations using AI in innovative ways, including NYC Tourism and their meeting planner AI, Ellis, built on the GuideGeek platform. Below is that section of the article.
AI for engagement and growth
New York City, one of the world’s top travel destinations, is leveraging AI to streamline visitor interactions and improve engagement with meeting organizers. Recognizing a gap in the meeting planning industry, NYC Tourism partnered with GuideGeek to develop an AI-powered tool that helps meeting planners navigate the city’s myriad attractions, dining and entertainment offers.
“We noticed that there wasn’t anyone in the meeting space using AI in this way,” said Nancy Mammana, chief marketing officer of NYC Tourism.
“We partnered with GuideGeek to help meeting planners easily access relevant venues, vendors and resources. Ultimately, we’re here to drive business for our members, and we need to make sure people are engaging with what we have to offer.”
Mammana said that applying AI helps get the message out in a budget-friendly way.
“Ultimately, we want to get people deeper into our content,” she said. “Our advertising budgets aren’t high, but we have really good, useful tools, and AI allows us to leverage them in smarter ways.”
Since launching in early 2025, the results NYC has seen have been remarkable:
- 100% increase in traffic to the meeting planner website
- 800+ AI-driven queries in the first month
- 150% growth in newsletter sign-ups
- 10% increase in time spent on the site
Beyond engagement, AI will also shape NYC’s future content strategy.
“This isn’t just about pushing out information—it’s about listening to our audience,” Mammana said. “By tracking common queries, we can refine our editorial strategy and provide better, more relevant content.”
Looking ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, NYC Tourism expects its AI tool, which supports 45 languages, to be an asset, ensuring accessibility for international visitors.
“We know what’s coming next year, and we want to be prepared,” Mammana said.