How Tour, Activity & Attraction Operators Use AI

Unsure how to use the growing number of Gen AI tools to help your business? Here’s how travel experience operators are applying AI today

There have never been more tools and applications for tour, activity and attraction operators to put Generative AI to use in their business. Still, too few businesses in our industry are doing it. According to Arival’s Global Operator Landscape: The State of Experiences (3rd Ed.), just 12% of tour, activity and attraction operators say they are using Gen AI actively in their operations. Another one in four say they are experimenting and testing. Most operators – more than half of small operators – are not doing anything with AI at all. 

What about those operators who are active in AI today? How are they using it, and how is it working for them?

Forget about the personable avatars and AI-powered guides and tools that are supposed to deliver a future filled with perfect itineraries and omniscient customer service agents. They may well be coming, but for today, most operators are putting Gen AI applications to work at the very things they are best at. 

Content, Content & Content

The most common uses cited by operators include generating content. Three in five are using AI to write product descriptions, followed by website copy and marketing content for blogs and social media. Tools such as ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude and other Gen AI apps are getting better and better at producing high-quality, consistent content.

These services – both their free and paid versions – can dramatically reduce the time operators and their marketers spend producing copy. A majority of both small and medium-sized operators (SMEs, handling up to 10,000 guests per year), as well as larger operators (more than 10,000 guests), are using Gen AI for content. 

It is with more advanced, operational applications for AI where we see significantly more uptake with larger operators. Larger operators – businesses that handle at least 10,000 guests per year – are significantly more likely to use Gen AI for business and marketing planning activities, creating internal documentation (e.g. employee guides and operations manuals), customer service applications such as chatbots, and reporting and analytics. 

Just How Effective Are Gen AI Tools?

Operators say the tools are not perfect, but overall report that they are at least somewhat helpful. Some 70% of operators said their use of Gen AI was either somewhat or very effective, while 23% said it was only slightly effective or not effective at all. Just 7% said they are “extremely effective.”

Operator Takeaway: Gen AI is not a human replacement, but it can be a productivity accelerator. The results may not be perfect, but these apps can dramatically reduce the time it takes to produce the content you need. The more you use these tools, the more you will train them to deliver the results you’re looking for – and the more they will train you to provide the right inputs, or prompts, to get the content you want. 

Get even more hands-on guidance with the Arival Guide to AI in Experiences, an essential overview of AI and emerging applications specifically for operators and sellers of tours, activities, attractions and experiences. Learn how to optimize your experience product listings for generative AI search. Arival Insider Pro Access members can also dig deeper with the AI in Experiences: Case Studies in Emerging Tech. 

Even better, join us in person at Arival 360 | Valencia, where we’ll have several key sessions on AI, including an overview of AI applications for operators, and in-depth workshops where operators will get to sit down with travel industry experts and learn how to use these tools.

Operators try out different AI tools during an extended workshop session at Arival | Activate Edinburgh
Operators try out different AI tools during an extended workshop session at Arival | Activate Edinburgh
ARIVAL 360 | VALENCIA

28-30 APRIL 2025

Insider Pro Access Members Save 20%

THE event of the year for the European in-destination experiences industry

Save up to €580 with the Winter Special ticket

Learn More

Learn More in the Latest State of Experiences Report

Arival’s Global Operator Landscape: The State of Experiences (3rd Ed.) report is based on a survey of more than 7,000 operators worldwide. The third edition of Arival’s Global Operator Landscape research series, this new report provides a comprehensive view of the state and structure of tour, activity and attraction marketplace, with key trends and benchmarks for operators of all categories and sizes. 

The Global Operator Landscape: The State of Experiences (3rd Ed.) is supported by our Launch Partner GetYourGuide, strategic insights partners Catalan Tourist Board, Expian, Rezgo, TripWorks and Viator, and more than 40 fielding partners. See the full list and get your copy of the full report here.  

Become an Insider Pro Access member today and get access to the full library of Arival research, plus many other benefits such as free consulting sessions, special discounts and 20% off in-person events, starting from $179 per year.

GET ON THE LIST!

Sign up to receive insights tailored for the in-destination industry as well as updates on Arival.

Sign Up

Header photo: Generated by OpenAI’s DALL-E

promotional image to become a Arival insider pro access member

Trending

Check Out Our New Report
X
The Profitable Operator
Grow your bottom line with best practices from the most profitable operators: a free snapshot report developed in partnership with GetYourGuide Authors: Anne Failing, Douglas Quinby and Janelle Visser

already a member?

Lost your password?

NEED TO REGISTER?

Become an Arival Insider
X
THE ARIVAL INSIDER PRO ACCESS MEMBERSHIP; YOU GET ALL THIS TO HELP YOU ADVANCE YOUR BUSINESS.

Included in Free Membership

Included in Arival Pro Membership

The Arival on-demand video library archive
Access to the entire library of over 150 video sessions and webinars

Arival.guides
Short, digestible research & trends reports delivering insights into our industry, such as The Tour Operator Outlook for 2021.

Arival.travel articles
Topical articles about marketing, tech, operator business and operator stories in all areas of tours, activities & attractions & experiences

Job board access
Find a job from our regular listings, post a resume to the talent network and learn strategies from the job resources articles

New webinars
Helpful, instructional sessions covering subjects such as Mastering Facebook Ads, Grow Your Business and How To Work With OTAs — topics to help advance your business.

Discounts on all Arival in-person events
20% Discount on all Arival in-person events (save up to $300)* based on business type

Arival ProShield – Insurance program
Access to tailored insurance solutions by Granite Insurance is available exclusively for Arival Insider Pro Access Members. Insider Pro Access Members also have access to a suite of resources from Granite Insurance including templates, forms and other informative documents.

Insiders Pro Access member exclusive webinars
Paid membership-only webinars to deepen your understanding of important industry topics.

Job postings & talent directory
Post jobs & connect with candidates most applicable to your business.

Private roundtables to connect, learn and engage
Small, focused and intimate discussions exclusive to Arival Insider Pro Access members.

Full access to Arival’s library of in-depth reports
Up to date, deep analysis of tourism topics ranging from Self-guided Tours to Sales & Distribution Trends and Outlooks, based on the data that defines the industry.

The latest on-demand videos
Over 350+ on-demand videos featuring hot topics in tours, activities & attractions

Insider discounts in digital marketing, tech, e-learning, and more
Save money on additional tools, services and learnings you need to run your business. Exclusive to paid members.

Membership Overview
X

Get on the List
Sign up to receive insights tailored for the in-destination industry as well as updates on Arival.
  *
 *
 *
 *
 
 
You can sign up to receive email updates from topics that may interest you.
*Required fields
Note: It is our responsibility to protect your privacy and we guarantee that your data will be completely confidential.
ARIVAL CODE OF CONDUCT​
CONFERENCES AND COMMUNITY SPACES​

At Arival, we believe travel can make the world a better place. Our mission is to establish and inspire a diverse community of individuals and companies in the In-destination Industry by providing opportunities to gain insight, share knowledge and build connections. To make it possible for true collaboration, creativity, innovation, and idea exchange to thrive, we are committed to facilitating a welcoming and respectful community for all. This Conference Code of Conduct shares our community expectations and applies to all attendees, employees, exhibitors, speakers, sponsors, volunteers, and other participants at Arival- produced and sponsored events. We empower all participants in our community to actively engage in creating a friendly, inclusive and safe environment for all.

Arival’s core values include the following, and create an expectation for conduct at our events and in online community spaces:

We demonstrate a deep respect for human beings inside and outside our company and for the communities in which they live.
We value integrity and strive to consistently interact with others in ways that are authentic, ethical, and fair.
We are dedicated to transparency, committing to clear, open and honest communication.
We actively pursue and advocate for inclusion, diversity and representation of varying cultural backgrounds, perspectives and ideas

Arival welcomes people from all cultural backgrounds, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender (including pregnancy, perceived pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender identity, religion (including religious dress and grooming), marital status, domestic partner status, genetic information, age, national origin or ancestry, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Accordingly, participants must refrain from displaying any demeaning, harassing, aggressive, or intimidating behavior or materials that would interfere with others’ experience and participation in our community.

If you witness or are subjected to inappropriate or disruptive behavior or have any other concerns, notify an Arival staff member as soon as possible.

Inappropriate or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Arival reserves the right to refuse entry to or remove any party from any event or community space at any time when participation or behavior create a disruption or hinder the event or enjoyment of the event by other participants. All determinations are at the sole discretion of Arival, and the decision of the Arival team will be final. Severe breaches of this Conference Code of Conduct may result in disqualification from participating in future events. Individuals expelled due to violating this Conference Code of Conduct will not be eligible for a refund or other consolation.

If you have questions regarding this Conference Code of Conduct or its implementation, please contact us at [email protected].

X