Despite artificial intelligence, personalization and the human touch will remain central to travel experiences, say speakers at KTM 2026

Foreign visitors at the 13th Kerala Travel Mart in Kochi. The event will end on September 27. | Photo credit: THULASI KAKKAT

Speakers at a seminar on ‘Evolving Customer Expectations’ held as part of the 13th Kerala Travel Mart (KTM 2026) here on Saturday (September 26) said Keralam needs to expand its tourism offering beyond its established backwaters and traditional attractions and develop more holistic, personalized journeys as traveler expectations evolve.

They pointed out that changing traveller’s behaviour, personalisation, artificial intelligence and customer reviews are reshaping the hospitality and tourism industry. While technology, including artificial intelligence, will increasingly influence hospitality, personalization and the human touch will remain essential to the guest experience, they said.

At a panel discussion on “Artificial Intelligence Applications/Artificial Intelligence Disruption in Travel,” speakers said AI is helping travelers find destinations, automate bookings, compare options, manage dynamic pricing and plan further, while offering real-time recommendations and customized itineraries. But human intervention makes trips memorable because they understand travelers’ emotions and create meaningful experiences. People need to check every fact, including prices, visas and policies, because AI is bound to be wrong, they added.

Keralam has emerged as a major adventure tourism destination and has overtaken Goa as a hub for adventure travel as the state’s geographical diversity offers a wide spectrum of activities, said speakers at another seminar at the venue.

The event will conclude at the Sagara and Samudrika Convention Centers in Willingdon Island here on Sunday (September 27).

Published – 26 Sep 2026 21:14 IST