Greece has become the first country in Europe to adopt a free artificial intelligence (AI) travel assistant named Pythia, which offers real-time responses to travel and tourism questions about the country. This pioneering technology was launched by DiscoverGreece.com on its website and WhatsApp, making Greece the first European nation to integrate GuideGeek AI technology from the Matador Network.
“With so many islands and historical sites and an extremely vibrant culture, there are endless experiences in Greece for travellers,” said Ross Borden, CEO of Matador Network. “Pythia helps travellers zero in on the best trip for them, whether that’s island hopping in the Mediterranean or wine tasting in Macedonia.”
The AI assistant is designed to create entire itineraries or respond to specific queries about activities, monuments, restaurants, hotels, and more. It draws from extensive data provided by DiscoverGreece.com and over 1,000 travel information integrations powered by GuideGeek’s award-winning technology.
In-depth Information and Customization
Panos Kokkalis, Digital Products Manager of Marketing Greece, emphasized how Pythia leverages in-depth information about Greek destinations: “We are very pleased with how Pythia prioritizes information from our website and weaves in other data sources as needed to provide instant and complete answers to any question travellers might have.”
Kokkalis highlighted the customizable nature of GuideGeek’s AI: “After doing extensive research, we determined that GuideGeek offered the best AI solution for us because it is so customizable for our needs and so accessible to travellers via WhatsApp and DiscoverGreece.com.”
Ensuring Legal Compliance
Aware of potential concerns, Kokkalis assured that they have addressed any legal concerns related to the technology. “The whole tourism industry is heading toward AI, and we want Greece to be a leader in this new platform for engaging visitors,” he stated.
Expansion of GuideGeek in Europe
In addition to Pythia, GuideGeek plans to roll out further custom versions of its AI technology across the EU in the coming months, having met EU compliance requirements in partnership with DiscoverGreece.com.
Valuable Insights for Greek Tourism
The implementation of Pythia is also providing DiscoverGreece.com with key insights into visitor behavior. According to Kokkalis, this has been “eye-opening” for the platform. “The fact that you can message back and forth with the AI like a person in over 50 languages helps us see how visitors phrase questions and what’s on their mind. It has already led to key takeaways that have shaped our content and marketing strategies,” he explained.
AI in Global Tourism
Matador Network has already partnered with several destination marketing organizations in North America and the Caribbean, including Aruba, RenoTahoe, Idaho, Illinois, and Estes Park, Colorado, further showcasing the rise of AI technology in the tourism industry.
