What Tourism Professionals Are Telling Us About AI Training Needs
Over the past months, we’ve had the privilege of listening to tourism professionals across New Zealand share their thoughts, concerns, and hopes about AI in their industry. These conversations—whether at industry events, through informal discussions, or during consultation calls—have revealed valuable insights about what tourism teams actually need when it comes to AI learning and implementation.
Rather than assumptions about what the industry requires, we wanted to share what we’re hearing directly from the people doing the work every day.
“Show Me How This Helps My Guests”
The most consistent theme in our conversations is the desire to understand AI through the lens of visitor experience. Tourism professionals don’t want to learn about AI in abstract terms—they want to see concrete connections to better guest outcomes.
As one accommodation operator put it during a recent industry discussion: “I don’t need to understand all the technical details, but I do need to know how this makes my guests’ stay more memorable or helps them discover something special about our region they might otherwise miss.”
This tells us that effective AI training for tourism needs to start with outcomes that matter to operators: enhanced personalisation, improved service delivery, better resource management, and more meaningful visitor connections with destinations.
“Make It Relevant to My Daily Reality”
Tourism professionals consistently emphasise the need for training that reflects their actual work environment. Generic business AI courses often feel disconnected from the seasonal fluctuations, resource constraints, and relationship-focused nature of tourism operations.
Several regional tourism organisation managers have shared similar sentiments: they need learning materials that acknowledge the realities of managing visitor flows during peak seasons, working with limited budgets, coordinating with multiple stakeholders, and balancing commercial goals with environmental stewardship.
This feedback highlights the importance of tourism-specific training scenarios rather than one-size-fits-all business applications.
“Let Me Learn at My Own Pace”
The tourism industry includes professionals with vastly different levels of comfort with technology. Some embrace new digital tools enthusiastically, while others prefer to observe and learn gradually. What we’re hearing consistently is the need for flexible learning approaches that don’t leave anyone behind.
Several operators have mentioned feeling overwhelmed by rapid-fire AI workshops or pressure to implement everything at once. Instead, they’re asking for learning pathways that allow them to build confidence step by step, with opportunities to practice and ask questions without judgment.
“Help Me Understand What’s Actually Possible”
There’s significant interest in understanding AI’s realistic applications in tourism, separate from the hype and marketing messages that often surround new technology. Tourism professionals want honest conversations about what AI can and cannot do, particularly in their specific contexts.
During recent industry discussions, questions frequently centre around practical limitations: “What happens when the AI recommendation doesn’t match local knowledge?” “How do we maintain the personal touch while using automated systems?” “What are the costs and time investments really like?”
This suggests that effective training needs to address both opportunities and limitations, helping professionals make informed decisions about implementation.
“Connect Me with Others on Similar Journeys”
One of the strongest requests we hear is for peer learning opportunities. Tourism professionals want to connect with others who are navigating similar challenges, share experiences, and learn from each other’s successes and setbacks.
As one tourism operator recently shared: “I’d love to talk with someone who’s actually implemented AI tools in a similar operation. Not a vendor trying to sell me something, but someone who can tell me what really worked and what didn’t.”
This emphasises the value of collaborative learning models and peer networks in AI education for tourism.
“Respect Our Existing Expertise”
Tourism professionals consistently emphasise that they don’t want AI training that dismisses or undervalues their existing knowledge and experience. They want to be treated as experts in their field who are expanding their toolkit, not beginners who need to start from scratch.
This feedback highlights the importance of training approaches that build on existing tourism expertise rather than ignoring it. The most effective learning experiences acknowledge what professionals already know while introducing new tools that enhance their capabilities.
“Show Me the Business Case”
Practical tourism operators want to understand not just how AI works, but why it makes business sense for their specific situation. This includes honest discussions about costs, implementation time, staff training requirements, and realistic timelines for seeing benefits.
Several operators have expressed appreciation for transparent conversations about resource requirements and potential challenges, rather than oversimplified promises of immediate transformation.
“Help Me Maintain What Makes Us Special”
A recurring concern is how to adopt AI tools while preserving the authentic, personal experiences that make tourism destinations unique. Professionals want assurance that technology will enhance rather than replace the human connections that define quality hospitality.
This feedback suggests that successful AI training for tourism must address how to use technology to support and amplify human expertise rather than substitute for it.
Building Training That Responds to Real Needs
These insights are shaping how we think about AI education for tourism professionals. Rather than imposing external assumptions about what the industry needs, at Global Thinking AI we’re committed to developing learning approaches that respond to what tourism professionals are actually telling us they want.
This means creating training that’s tourism-specific, flexible, peer-supported, and honest about both opportunities and challenges. It means respecting existing expertise while providing practical tools for growth. And it means focusing on outcomes that matter to tourism operators: better guest experiences, more sustainable operations, and stronger destination stewardship.
The conversations continue, and we’re grateful for every tourism professional who takes time to share their perspective. These insights are invaluable in ensuring that AI training serves the real needs of our industry rather than just following technology trends.
What resonates most with your experience? Are there training needs or concerns we haven’t captured here? We’re always eager to hear from tourism professionals about what would genuinely help your team feel more confident and capable with AI tools. – Book A Discovery Call – Here!
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