Ministry of Tourism Evaluates AI as a Tool for Data-Driven Travel Experiences
The Deputy of Marketing at the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, stated that artificial intelligence (AI) is instrumental in building travel experiences based on data. She emphasised that this is not merely following a trend, but rather a foundation for creating more personalised and efficient tourism experiences.
Speaking during a discussion with the Tourism and Creative Economy Journalists Association (Forwaparekraf) on Friday, Ni Made Ayu noted that the adoption of AI is an inevitability within the industry. To this end, the Ministry of Tourism is integrating AI into the digital ecosystem through the launch of Meticulous Artificial Intelligence of Indonesia (MaiA). This system is designed to enhance the quality of national tourism services using adaptive, intelligent technology oriented towards tourist needs.
MaiA is engineered to assist travellers at every stage of their journey, from the dreaming and planning phases to booking, experiencing, and sharing their travel adventures. As an ecosystem, MaiA can also serve as an instrument for the industry to collect data on tourist behaviour. The data provided by MaiA offers a much more detailed overview compared to conventional survey methods.
Through MaiA, the government can better understand current tourist behaviours, including destination preferences, activities, and desired experiences. Every digital activity, from searches to social media interactions, is processed to create user profiles, which in turn determine the content presented to them. In the context of tourism, this means travellers are no longer purely ‘choosing’ but are being guided by recommendation systems controlled by global platforms such as Google, Meta, and TikTok.
Consequently, the current challenge in tourism communication is not just about creating engaging content, but about building trust amidst an information deluge. When information is available in near-infinite quantities, the public seeks sources that are reliable. In this landscape, human elements remain the deciding factor. While AI can collect data, process information, and generate recommendations at speeds impossible for humans, the priority remains ensuring that technology is used to strengthen public trust rather than replace it.