Trip.com has unveiled its new AI travel assistant, TripGenie. Seamlessly merging cutting-edge AI technology with travel planning and booking, TripGenie aims to facilitate travelers’ journeys, “from conception to completion”.
TripGenie, integrated into the Trip.com mobile app, is an advanced AI assistant that takes the reins from the former TripGen, marking a significant leap in its capabilities. The newly launched TripGenie employs sophisticated language model technology to decode intricate user requests, swiftly guiding users to pertinent app results, and even storing text itinerary responses for future reference.
One of the highlights of TripGenie is its compatibility with both text and voice commands, creating a fluid and intuitive interaction. This dynamic interface effortlessly showcases images, links, and instantly redirects users to relevant app sections, saving them valuable time and effort in their travel planning endeavors.
Amy Wei, Senior Product Director at Trip.com, emphasized the pivotal role TripGenie plays, stating, “TripGenie has completely re-engineered how users interact with AI in travel planning and booking, creating a conversation flow that is human-like and intuitive.”
Our goal is to simplify and personalize the travel experience, making it as enjoyable and effortless as possible for our users.
Schubert Lou, Chief Operating Officer at Trip.com
This travel companion boasts an array of features that aim to simplify the entire travel experience. Powered by robust language model technology, TripGenie offers personalized recommendations, meticulous travel plans, and a centralized booking service, all within the app itself. From seeking out the best flight deals to locating hotels near specific landmarks, TripGenie tailors its responses to user specifications, ensuring a seamless and convenient planning process.
However, TripGenie’s capabilities don’t stop at logistical arrangements. It extends its prowess to crafting comprehensive itineraries. In response to queries like “How do I plan a 5-day trip to Bangkok?”, the AI assistant provides an array of tourist spots, shopping hubs, and even booking links accompanied by city maps. The interactive and structured itinerary can be saved for future reference, enabling users to resume their planning whenever convenient.
“Embracing the Language User Interface (LUI) and AI Agent philosophy, TripGenie signifies a giant leap towards a highly efficient super AI assistant for our users”, added Wei. The LUI technology allows users to communicate with the AI assistant through a floating icon, maintaining an uninterrupted browsing experience. When inactive, the assistant discreetly rests in the sidebar, preserving a clutter-free interface.
The information gathered through LUI integrates with the app’s existing user interface, enriching the booking process. Not only does TripGenie populate relevant fields based on user input, but it also provides contextual guidance throughout the journey. If any details are missing, the assistant proactively prompts users with follow-up questions, ensuring comprehensive and accurate information.
Trip.com’s journey towards creating TripGenie began with earlier iterations, starting with the original AI travel assistant, TripGen. Over time, it evolved into TripGenie. By July, it had already served travelers across more than 200 countries and regions, boasting double the order conversion rate and a significantly higher user retention rate. The assistant currently supports English voice and text input, along with Japanese, Korean, and traditional Chinese text input.
The roadmap for TripGenie includes a virtual tour guide feature, promising a more immersive travel experience in the future.
Generative AI is being increasingly used by travel platforms to enhance the user experience. In April 2023, Expedia launched a ChatGPT powered travel advisor, while Booking followed suit with its own AI trip planner using large language model (LLM) technology from OpenAI’s ChatGPT. So did Tripadvisor, with the introduction of an AI-powered travel itinerary generator, both in July.
