Revolutionizing Travel Consulting: HIS Introduces Japan's First AI Avatar

In a groundbreaking move, HIS (Hisashi Ishida) has partnered with ZEALS to launch Japan's first AI avatar travel consulting service. This initiative aims to revolutionize the travel experience by providing users with interactive and immersive consultations through AI technology. The first phase of this innovative project involves collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization, delivering tailored travel insights about Korea through an AI avatar.

Traveling has always required valuable information and well-thought-out planning. Recent advancements in generative AI and AI agents have made their way into everyday life, including the travel sector. Travelers now leverage this technology for planning their journeys, learning about their destinations, and comparing travel plans. However, as the internet facilitates widespread access to travel information, distinguishing between various travel companies becomes challenging.

Understanding this challenge, HIS has prioritized leveraging years of accumulated customer service experience to create a unique competitive edge. By converting the rich knowledge possessed by consultants and travel planners at HIS into a form that AI can utilize, the company aims to provide a travel advisory experience that goes beyond conventional AI information searches and summaries.

The HIS AI Avatar serves as a virtual concierge, engaging travelers in real-time dialogues to help them discover personalized travel options and insights about Korea. This AI-powered avatar, equipped with human-like facial expressions and voice, creates a vivid interaction, mimicking conversations one might have with a proficient travel professional. This immersive communication style not only encompasses words but also evokes emotional expressions, enabling a richer dialogic experience.

For the inaugural launch, the avatar will focus on presenting travel information related to Korea. By incorporating practical knowledge from 275 HIS employees who possess extensive insights about Korean travel, along with reliable data from the Korea Tourism Organization, the AI system will offer deep and detailed travel recommendations tailored to diverse travel preferences.

Through the development and operation of this AI avatar, HIS aspires to transform how travel expertise and up-to-date local information are delivered to customers by AI technology. The company will continuously gather feedback to enhance service quality and explore expanding the range of destinations and services offered through this initiative.

This launch marks a significant shift in the travel industry, where AI not only assists in information retrieval but also engages travelers in meaningful dialogue, fostering a more personalized and memorable traveling journey. As HIS and ZEALS work together, they invite travelers to experience this innovative approach to travel consultation, setting new standards in customer engagement within the rapidly evolving tech landscape.