AI at ITB Asia 2025: What hospitality and events teams can act on now
Trip.com Group showcased its latest AI-driven travel tools at ITB Asia 2025, with a clear signal to the market: personalisation and partnership are driving better trips and stronger bookings. TripGenie and the new on-screen Widget are central to this push, backed by sharp growth and measurable engagement.
For hospitality and events leaders, this isn't theory. It's a shift in how travellers plan, decide and rebook-often within minutes of inspiration. The operators who integrate, respond fast and present richer options will win the next booking window.
Key highlights from Trip.com Group
- TripGenie, the AI assistant, saw a 125% year-on-year traffic lift last month, with users and conversations up more than 200%.
- The on-screen Widget extends assistance beyond the app, with a 30% higher 7-day revisit rate among users.
- "Help plan my trip" Google searches jumped 190% year-on-year, underscoring demand for digital trip planning (source).
- Product focus: real-time inspiration, instant itinerary creation and trip management-built on collaboration with local partners.
- Theme across sessions: personalisation at scale, simple experiences, and trust as a baseline.
Why this matters for hotels, venues and DMCs
- Personalised results convert: Richer content and flexible packaging surface more often in AI recommendations.
- Real-time assistance raises expectations onsite: Guests look for instant answers, changes and add-ons from their phones.
- Connected trips increase cross-sell: Transport, stays, experiences and meeting add-ons link into one flow.
- Partnerships matter: Operators with clean data, clear policies and reliable service are more likely to be featured.
Practical actions to take this quarter
- Audit your content for AI discovery: Standardise room types, meeting spaces, amenities, capacities, accessibility info, F&B details and rich media. Keep it consistent across channels.
- Package for intent: Create clear bundles (stay + venue + transport; meeting room + AV + coffee break; pre/post-event experiences) with transparent rules and availability.
- Enable quick changes: Offer flexible policies and simple modifications so AI assistants can present options without friction.
- Level up onsite messaging: Connect guest messaging, event coordinator lines and ops staff. Aim for sub-5-minute response times during arrivals and event hours.
- Instrument your data: Tag bookings referred by AI assistants or widgets. Track conversion, average order value and add-on attachment rates.
- Explore partnerships: Engage with Trip.com Group and local partners mentioned at ITB Asia to test co-marketing, inventory pilots and data-sharing frameworks.
- Train your team on AI workflows: Build skills in prompt-led itinerary refinement, content structuring and service recovery. Browse AI courses by job.
How to prepare your inventory for AI assistants
- Use clear, machine-readable attributes: capacities, layouts, tech specs, noise policies, sustainability badges, and accessibility notes.
- Publish real availability windows for meeting spaces and experiences where possible.
- Provide context-rich FAQs: late check-out, luggage storage, early AV setup, dietary options, multilingual support, nearby transit.
- Maintain consistent pricing logic across channels to prevent AI flagging or suppression.
Metrics to watch
- Conversion rate and average order value from AI-referred sessions.
- Time from inspiration to confirmed booking (shorter is better).
- Repeat visits within 7 and 30 days, especially among Widget users.
- Add-on attachment rate (transfers, experiences, meeting extras).
- Response time and CSAT for in-trip support messages.
What speakers underscored at ITB Asia
- Edmund Ong stressed the need for personalisation and partner collaboration to deliver the best options at strong value.
- Amy Wei highlighted the move from generic search to natural conversation, with instant turn-to-book plans through TripGenie and a focus on trust.
The path forward
AI is changing how travellers decide, book and manage trips. The operators who make content clear, policies flexible and service responsive will see more visibility in AI assistants and better outcomes.
Keep the tech simple for guests, and consistent for your teams. Build trust through reliable information, fast support and fair policies-then let the booking flow do the work.
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