“New technologies are reshaping consumption habits worldwide, making them more uniform across regions. Tour agencies need to stay updated with these changing trends and try to come up with efficient solutions to survive,” said Kamchybek Kasymbekov, Digital Transformation Lead at Amanat Insurance.
Daniyar Khizmetov, Director of ‘Lilo Tour’, emphasized the utility of AI in automating work processes and improving the overall quality of the tourist experience.
However, he noted that AI cannot replace human interactions, particularly during unforeseen circumstances. Khizmetov said that AI technologies are incapable of assisting tourists abroad when they encounter real life problems.
Svetlana Kaplina, Director of ‘Aidana Tour’, highlighted the importance of using new technologies with creativity in tourism marketing. She noted that merely posting beautiful reels on Instagram is not enough for promotion. Kaplina suggested that strategic collaborations, like the example of the “Oreo and PlayStation ad collaboration,” can yield better results.
At KITF plenary sessions, discussions frequently revolved around ‘Kaspi Travel,’ an online platform enabling travelers to purchase tours and flight tickets. This platform poses competition for travel agencies by potentially overshadowing their offline consultation services.
“The importance of personal interactions in tourism was emphasized many times, however, younger generations are accustomed to constant technology use and consuming vast amounts of information,” said Kasymbekov.
Meanwhile, medical tourism is less influenced by online services, as the personal touch is paramount in this type of industry. Muniram Akhmetova, Chairman of the RA SRO Oil and IE KIT, emphasized this distinction, stating, “When it comes to medical tourism, we do not use such words as ‘client,’ but ‘patient.'”
Kristina Krivets, President of the Kazakhstan Association of Medical Tourism, pointed out that ‘personalization’ has deep roots in the medical field. “Empathy and an individual approach are essential in medical tourism and can’t be replaced by AI bots,” said Krivets.
She also stressed the need for careful consideration of digitalization in medical tourism due to concerns about information security. “Some patients are hesitant to disclose their diseases and medical history,” clarified Krivets.
Tags: Kazakhstan International Tourism and Travel Exhibition, KITF, Kristina Krivets, Kazakhstan Association of Medical Tourism,
Daniyar Khizmetov, ‘Lilo Tour’, Svetlana Kaplina, ‘Aidana Tour’
