Booking.com has released its AI Trip Planner in Aotearoa, a bot that travellers can ask travel-related questions and receive tailored recommendations on destinations as well as full itineraries.
The tool first launched in the US and UK last year and has also rolled out in Australia this week.
AI Trip Planner integrates Booking.com's existing machine learning models with OpenAI's ChatGPT API, providing a conversational approach to trip planning.
It's still a beta version and is currently only available in the mobile app and not accessible through the website, however.
To use it, you have to be logged into a Booking.com account and have the language settings set to English.
It offers real-time chat functionality to help refine travel searches and, if you like, will also send you personalised recommendations. Users can transition between their conversation with the AI Trip Planner and the booking options it suggests to make purchases as they plan out a trip.
As a competitor with the likes of Expedia and Kayak, Booking.com is a reservation service for accommodation, flights, car hire and select attractions.
AI Trip Planner will likely improve considerably beyond the beta currently available over time.
Todd Lacey, regional manager of Booking.com in Oceania, said the tool is the latest advancement on algorithms the company has spent years refining.
"Developments with generative AI are accelerating the work we've been doing for years with machine learning to enhance and improve every aspect of the customer experience on our platform, whether it's optimising the right order to display hotel or holiday home content to surfacing the most relevant reviews or attractions," he said.
"Our AI Trip Planner is another step in our ongoing journey to explore how we bring even more value, and hopefully enjoyment, to travellers from Australia and New Zealand."
AI Trip Planner was added as an update to the Booking.com app in New Zealand on Monday.
