AI as a travel companion: tourism relies on digital local guides
The "AI Local Guides" project aims to digitally expand tourist guest services. Zürich Tourism, Holoai and other tourism partners are developing an AI-supported solution that provides travellers with personalized recommendations. The first prototypes are planned for summer 2025.
In collaboration with Basel Tourism, Graubünden Tourism, Lucerne Tourism and Zurich Tourism, the Swiss technology company Holoai is developing a digital travel guide that provides guests with locally curated recommendations in real time. The solution will be available as an interactive guide via smartphones or the destinations' existing digital platforms. The project is being funded by InnoTour.
According to those responsible, the AI-supported platform enables a customized travel experience: the local guides appear as fictional or historical characters, offer background knowledge on places of interest and provide location-based recommendations - regardless of time, place or language.
"With the platform, we are creating a basis for making local expertise with generative AI accessible to guests," explains Pascal Schwager, Head of Digital Products & Services at Zürich Tourism. The technology also offers new opportunities for the destinations themselves to accompany travelers digitally without having to make large investments.
The first prototypes are to be presented in summer 2025 and the project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2025. The platform will then initially be integrated into the Zurich City Guide app and later made available to other destinations.
