Chris North, the former managing director of Vertical Systems, has taken a non-executive role at the AI travel start-up Go There Travel.
- North will leverage his extensive experience to support the new company’s growth and development.
- Go There Travel offers an innovative AI search widget integrating OpenAI’s ChatGPT for travel agents.
- The widget aims to streamline agent operations by improving lead quality and conversion rates.
- North’s enthusiasm for AI is expected to significantly benefit the start-up.
Chris North, formerly the managing director of Vertical Systems, has been appointed as a non-executive director at Go There Travel, an emerging entity in the AI travel technology sector. The start-up, founded by Ian Champness, has developed an AI travel assistant in the form of a ‘search widget’ that can be incorporated into travel agents’ websites. This integration not only harnesses the capabilities of OpenAI’s ChatGPT but also aims to enhance the travel booking process by more efficiently connecting customers with travel agents.
North expressed his excitement, noting the potential of the AI widget to simplify initial customer interactions and accurately assess their holiday preferences. By doing so, it is designed to generate superior quality leads, elevate sales, and boost conversion rates, while filtering out unrealistic queries. Consequently, travel agents can devote their attention to prospective clients who truly appreciate the value of expert advice and are nearing a decision to book a holiday.
Ian Champness, the brain behind Go There Travel, expressed his delight over North’s acceptance of the position. Champness believes that North’s extensive network within the travel trade, coupled with his enthusiasm for AI, will serve as a valuable asset for the burgeoning company. He emphasised that the AI assistant would provide personalised advice by amalgamating AI-driven suggestions with the knowledge and experience of travel agents, therefore aligning the best suppliers with the customers’ needs.
The AI travel assistant is positioned to transform the competitive landscape for travel agents by allowing them to offer a service that rivals those of online travel agencies and even search engines. This transformative approach not just enables agents to respond to specific holiday requests from customers, but also aggregates data from ChatGPT searches to build a repository of travel trends, exclusively tailored for the travel industry.
Go There Travel is advancing its prototype and is actively seeking feedback from travel agents to refine its offering further. The initiative aims to convert potential challenges posed by the rise of AI into opportunities, promoting a progressive stride for agents adapting to new technology.
Chris North’s new role at Go There Travel marks a significant step forward in integrating AI with personalised travel services.
