Trip.com has launched an enhanced version of its AI travel assistant, previously known as TripGenie.

The newly released TripGenie excels at deciphering complex user requests, leading directly to applicable app results, storing text itinerary responses for future refinement, offering a new layer of app interaction through a unique floating AI icon, and supporting seamless communication via voice and text input. Conceived to deliver a hassle-free and customised travel experience, TripGenie is set to change the way people travel.

Amy Wei, Senior Product Director at Trip.com and product owner of TripGenie said, “TripGenie has completely re-engineered how users interact with AI in travel planning and booking, creating a conversation flow that is human-like and intuitive. With the power of large language models, TripGenie interprets user text or voice inputs, extracts key information, and responds with rich text, images, or navigates to related pages. Embracing the Language User Interface (LUI) and AI Agent philosophy, TripGenie signifies a giant leap towards a highly efficient super AI assistant for our users.”

Revolutionising the Travel Experience

Powered by large language model technology, TripGenie streamlines travel planning, offering personalised recommendations, comprehensive travel plans, and a consolidated booking service within the app. Queries such as, “Can you suggest a cheap flight from Singapore to Bangkok?” instantly propels the user to the Flight Deals page, featuring the most cost-effective options. When you request for hotels near Bangkok’s metro system, you will be led directly to a curated list with your specified filter applied. TripGenie precisely tailors recommendations to your specifications.

TripGenie’s capabilities extend beyond just booking flights or accommodations. Suppose you ask, “How do I plan a 5-day trip to Bangkok?” TripGenie rises to the challenge, recommending tourist spots, shopping destinations, and even providing booking links, images, or city maps within the conversational interface. If your travel dates are not yet confirmed, TripGenie can save your interactive and structured itinerary in the ‘My Itinerary’ section of the ‘My Trip’ channel, enabling you to resume planning at your convenience.

Trip.com has developed high-quality travel ranking content such as Trip.Deals, Trip.Best, and Trip.Trends for hotels, flights, and itineraries. These are integrated into TripGenie to enhance the quality of responses.

Innovative Interaction with Language User Interface

TripGenie is transforming the way users interact with travel apps by pioneering the concept of Language User Interface (LUI). With just a tap on the floating icon, users can unveil a semi-transparent overlay to type or voice their queries, all without disrupting their browsing momentum. When inactive, TripGenie smartly tucks itself in the sidebar, maintaining a clean and uncluttered interface.

The data captured by the LUI effortlessly blends into the existing user interface, enhancing users’ booking process. By discerning user input, TripGenie not only auto-populates relevant fields but also offers contextual assistance throughout the journey. In the event of incomplete data, it intelligently prompts follow-up questions, ensuring all necessary details are collected.

Moreover, TripGenie’s LUI caters to user refinement, allowing for detailed searches and preference specification, fostering an engaging multi-round conversation. Its smart algorithm, which considers user preferences and adapts to varying levels of detail in user input, redefines the search results, saving travellers precious time and effort. With TripGenie, laborious input and filtering become things of the past, making travel planning and booking as simple as a chat conversation.

Schubert Lou, Chief Operating Officer, Trip.com, said, “With the immense potential of our generative AI technology, we’re revolutionising the way we explore the world and shaping the future of travel for everyone. Since the beginning, we’re driven to empower travellers with seamless and accessible experiences, through persistent innovation and a relentless focus on user-centric solutions. Our goal is to simplify and personalise the travel experience, making it as enjoyable and effortless as possible for our users.”

More Innovation on the Horizon

The amplified capabilities of TripGenie are the result of prior iterations, beginning with the initial launch of the AI travel assistant TripGen in February. By July, it served travellers in over 200 countries and regions. With twice the order conversion rate and a retention rate 30-40% higher than average users, TripGen has demonstrated its value. Supporting English voice and text input, and Japanese, Korean and traditional Chinese text input, future TripGenie upgrades will include a virtual tour guide feature, promising an even more immersive travel experience.