TripAdvisor Launches Alexa Orlando Audio Tourist Experience
Tripadvisor has debuted an audio tour guide for Orlando as an Alexa skill. The new skill is part of Tripadvisor’s plans for post-pandemic travel and was created with the official tourism association for Orlando and is the first for TripAdvisor in North America.
Orlando Alexa
The Visit Orlando Alexa skill combines official Orlando material with Tripadvisor’s crowdsourced content. Users can ask about neighborhoods and activities such as ecotourism, fine dining, and events. The voice assistant shares suggestions for hotels and connects users to the reservations pages of the activities and places they want to know about through the associated mobile app.
“While Orlando is known as the Theme Park Capital of the World, our destination offers endless options for all types of travelers to uncover hidden gems throughout our unique neighborhoods from Winter Garden and Downtown Orlando to Lake Nona and beyond,” Visit Orlando CEO Casandra Matej said in a statement. “We are thrilled to partner with Tripadvisor, to give visitors a new and innovative way to learn about Orlando, as Alexa takes listeners through a journey, introducing unexpected Orlando experiences and helpful reviews from travelers who have been before.”
Traveling Voices
Tripadvisor has put together a similar custom Alexa skill for Abu Dhabi, but Orlando is only the second city to get one. The deepening connection between the hospitality industry and voice AI is more evident than ever. Amazon has been quick to push out Alexa’s hotel and long-term stay features internationally. The recent Disney partnership will see a special version of Alexa in Disney theme parks next year. Echo devices in its resort rooms built with Alexa for Hospitality tech as well as Hey, Disney! The Disney Magical Companion at the hotel will showcase local highlights on its screen, provide information about the hotel and adjacent parks, and relay requests for toiletries and other hotel services. And the acquisition of voice AI for hotels startup Volara by hospitality tech provider Uniguest earlier this month marked an escalation of the industry’s efforts to incorporate voice technology. Tripadvisor’s role in promoting destinations is essentially expanding from its existing services into voice and is likely to become more common if it succeeds in Orlando.
“We’re excited to apply our knowledge of this branded voice experience on Alexa to make compelling content for Visit Orlando as we provide consumers with a unique experience that inspires them to travel and engages them as they plan for their next visit to one of the most incredible destinations in the United States,” Tripadvisor vice president and general manager Christine Maguire said in a statement. “We continue to seek out cutting edge solutions to help expand the horizons of travelers visiting Orlando to generate demand and storytell about all the incredible travel experiences the city has to offer travelers.”
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