AI, Tourism and the Future of Visitor Experience
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept for the tourism sector. It is already reshaping how destinations, attractions and hospitality businesses understand their audiences, improve operations and create more personalised visitor experiences.
That was the central theme at the Visit Hull and East Yorkshire Tourism Conference, where regional and national voices came together to explore how AI can support growth across the visitor economy.
Held at the Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel in Willerby, the conference placed AI firmly at the centre of the conversation, looking at its role in marketing, customer service, visitor insight and business efficiency.
For Hull and East Yorkshire, the timing could not be more significant. New figures show that annual visitor spend across the region has now topped £1 billion, underlining the strength, resilience and future potential of the local tourism sector.
The event highlighted an important message: AI is not about replacing the people who make tourism special. It is about supporting them.
Tourism is built on personality, place, warmth and experience. AI can help with time-consuming tasks, content creation, data analysis, customer queries and planning, but the human connection remains at the heart of every memorable visit.
Speakers included Jason Bradbury, Andrew Stokes and me - Kerry Yeo. We explored the opportunities and challenges ahead. From understanding where technology has come from, to recognising tourism’s wider social and economic value, the conference showed that innovation and inclusion must go hand in hand.
For local businesses, AI offers practical opportunities. It can help teams respond more quickly to enquiries, improve marketing campaigns, better understand visitor behaviour and free up staff time to focus on delivering excellent experiences.
But the message was also clear: AI should support a brand’s voice, not replace it. The most successful use of technology will come from businesses that combine digital tools with authenticity, creativity and local character.
As Hull and East Yorkshire continues to grow as a visitor destination, the opportunity is not simply to adopt AI for the sake of it. It is to use it thoughtfully, in ways that strengthen the sector, support jobs and enhance the experience for visitors and residents alike.
The future of tourism will be shaped by innovation, but it will still be powered by people.