A survey conducted by Travelzoo of more than 6,000 travelers in Asia, Europe, North America and South America found that nearly 80 percent of respondents expect robots to play a part in their lives, including travel, by 2020. Three quarters believe they will make their lives significantly better and almost two-thirds of respondents would be comfortable with robots being used in the travel industry.
The main advantages respondents see in robots are related to general efficiency, data retention and recall.
“Robots and artificial intelligence are making their debut on the tourism stage, and our research into global acceptance of robots working in the travel industry is largely positive,” says Richard Singer, Travelzoo’s European president. “While the advent of technology such as robot butlers and bartenders is hugely exciting, it’s also very clear from our research that consumers see the combination of robots and humans working in tandem in customer-facing roles as the ideal solution.”
Some properties, like Starwood’s Aloft brand, have already introduced their Botlr (robotic butler) at two Aloft hotels in Silicon Valley, Calif., to assist with front and back-of-house duties like delivering amenities to guests.
At Virginia’s Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, a new robot powered by IBM’s Watson and travel guide WayBlazer is making a debut as part of a pilot program. Connie, named for hotel chain founder Conrad Hilton, can answer questions about the hotel’s services and amenities or direct guests around the property. Since it also uses WayBlazer’s technology, Connie can also offer up suggestions for nearby places to visit.