Madrid Revolutionizes Tourism with AI
Madrid, a city renowned for its stunning architecture, vibrant art scene, and delectable cuisine, is leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to enhance the tourist experience. The city, the second-largest in the European Union, has implemented the VisitMadridGPT virtual assistant, powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, to offer visitors personalized and informative interactions.
Tourism is a major economic driver for Spain, and Madrid is a primary destination. In 2023, the city welcomed 10.6 million tourists, boosting the local economy and generating job opportunities. To ensure it remains attractive to visitors, the City of Madrid has partnered with iUrban to develop VisitMadridGPT.
VisitMadridGPT: A Personalized Tourist Experience
The VisitMadridGPT assistant provides tourists with accurate and up-to-date information in over 95 languages. It offers the same level of information as an official tourist agent. According to Abigail Sigüenza Pérez, Director of Strategic Marketing at Madrid Destino, the city’s tourism promotion office, “We started to monitor how generative AI was developing; we saw that this could be a huge potential for the City.”
Andrés Martínez, CEO and Cofounder of iUrban, highlights the advantages of the Azure OpenAI Service, stating, “Through our optimization, we ensured that responses were accurate and up-to-date, avoiding providing incorrect or outdated information. By fine-tuning the model, the assistant can provide customized and personalized responses which are highly conversational.”
This AI-powered assistant provides a user-friendly interface that is proving popular with visitors. Tourists spend an average of four minutes and 18 seconds per session, and the assistant has a low bounce rate. Users typically pose 2.8 questions per session, demonstrating the value and usefulness of the service.
Data-Driven Improvements
The City of Madrid is also using insights gathered from VisitMadridGPT to improve its tourism strategies. By analyzing the questions tourists ask, the city’s marketing team can identify popular topics and tailor its content and marketing campaigns. This data-driven approach helps Madrid enhance the tourist experience and adapt to changing demands and preferences.
By leveraging Microsoft technology, the City of Madrid is staying at the forefront of digital advancements, continuously improving its services and adapting to new developments in AI and digital technologies.
