The customer's journey in the age of artificial intelligence

This paper is devoted to the analysis of modern trends in the development of tourism and hospitality with an emphasis on the use of digital technologies and innovative methods for improving the quality of service. The authors focus on the integration of the Customer Journey Mapping (CJM) into travel product management processes and the application of new marketing strategies, emphasizing the need to adapt business processes to modern market conditions. The main provisions of the article include an analysis of traditional problems and pain points that arise during hotel booking, such as time costs, information overload, unreliability of information and lack of personalization. The advantages of using artificial intelligence (AI) in the booking process are emphasized, including time saving, personalization of recommendations, round-the-clock availability of services and objectivity of the recommendations provided. The authors highlight the importance of the readiness of hotels and tourism enterprises to implement AI technologies, including infrastructure adaptation, optimization of marketing strategies and staff training. They note that ignoring the changes will result in a loss of competitive advantage as AI adoption becomes an integral part of today's hospitality industry. In addition, the article provides a comparison of existing approaches and offers best practices to increase the competitiveness of organizations in the travel industry. Specific cases of successful solutions demonstrating the effectiveness of AI implementations and forecasts regarding the future spread of AI technologies in the field of travel and accommodation are presented.