The Starting Point - AI and Sustainable Tourism Forum

Over the past few days, participants in the AI and Sustainable Tourism Buddies Without Borders Online Forum learned where their teammates are from and how AI is changing the landscape in their home countries, including:

• Germany

• UAE

• Japan

• Argentina

• Spain

• India

• Taiwan

• Cyprus

• USA

• Peru

• Japan

• New Zealand

Students exchanged their research on AI as a planning tool for tourists, business owners, and government officials, as well as its environmental consequences and economic impact during implementation. More importantly, they challenged their own assumptions and those of their teammates.

We are particularly impressed by the following students: Masha – Team A3, Celine – Team A2, Clara – Team A3, Hishetha – Team B1, JIA-YOU – Team A3, Daniela – Team A4, Antonina – Team A4. (Team List here).

Below, we will share an excerpt of the writing from our two Rising Stars, students to watch in the coming months:

JIA-YOU WU (Alexandra) on one of the AI tool in Taiwan:

"Does an AI-powered trail guide system help promote sustainability, or does it only let tourists experience nature more conveniently?  

 Taiwan is an island with numerous mountains and has great potential for nature-based tourism. To promote sustainable tourism in nature areas, the Shanhai Trail AI Guide System(山海圳國家綠道-AI山林嚮導) was developed in order to let tourists plan routes with ease and, in addition, let them help report trail conditions such as littering.

   However, whether or not systems and applications like such provide actual changes in tourists’ behavior remains uncertain. An app could provide information and encourage sustainable behaviors, but in practice, the measured effects on behavior are generally small.(Sunio, V., & Schmöcker, J. D. (2017))

That being said, a well-designed system that provides ease of use and great learning experiences can still positively influence visitors’ appreciation of nature, thereby promoting more responsible tourism and encouraging environmental awareness.(Tsung Hung Lee, Fen-Hauh Jan (2023))

With this I ask, what do you think is the most effective way to encourage tourists to actually put environmental knowledge into practice?

Mahsa Raeissi questioning the pros and cons of AI's dynamic pricing in Argentina:

"Dynamic pricing does help businesses manage demand in Argentina, but the trade-offs are heavy (Slack, 2023).

Algorithms push crowds to the same viral spots while servers consume massive cooling water, and those virtual assistants lead to loss of jobs. this leaves the locals with the environmental and economic strain (UNEP, 2024)

If regulations are pushed to cap resource use and to protect jobs, do you think destination boards will follow to stay sustainable, or will the tourists just end up paying more?"

Please join us in wishing all the participants good luck and have fun!