Tech powers hospitality CS, but humans drive the guest experience

AI may be hitting the gas in hospitality, but humans are still behind the wheel. While tech can streamline, optimize, and personalize, it’s people who give it purpose. The standouts will be those who use AI to elevate genuine service, not replace it.

Joshua Viner, Head of Corporate Development & Strategy at TravelAI, shares how the real opportunity lies in balancing AI innovation with the human touch that defines hospitality.

Gut instinct: Viner champions technology that puts people in the driver’s seat. "The tools that will be most successful are the ones that allow customer service agents to customize and provide feedback," Viner says, "versus the system coming in and just gutting and replacing." That kind of blanket replacement, he warns, often leads to "a lot of unintended consequences." His stance is clear: Tech should enhance, not erase, the human role—because "people are craving an experience," and it’s often human oversight that makes it memorable.

Names, not numbers: Despite all the tech advances, Viner says one thing remains unchanged: "Technology can help, but it still won't replace some of that human element that creates the consistency." And consistency, he adds, is key, "regardless of what segment you're after." For him, it comes down to knowing who's walking through the door—and making sure the next staff member knows too. That kind of seamless, personal service is what defines real hospitality. Tech can support it, but never replace it.

Code meets reality: One of tech’s oldest pitfalls, Viner notes, is when "you have people building technology for the company but not spending a lot of time in the field." The key question, he says, is: "How do you take the field experience, circle that back in so that the people writing software actually know what the real issues are?" Grounding tech in real-world use isn’t just good practice, it’s essential for building AI that supports, not sidelines, the human role. When done right, it frees up staff to focus on what matters most: the guest.

Unsexy, unstoppable: For Viner, the real power of AI lies in precision, not flash. "The unsexy jobs that AI is going to do are probably going to drive the most value," he says—think backend tasks like data entry and scheduling. These quiet upgrades boost productivity, freeing staff to focus on strategy and service. But he’s quick to remind businesses: "You have to remember that it's people that are generating the value and goodwill." Getting the tech right is just part of it. Successful adoption also means investing in training and change management.

We have tech at home: Looking ahead, Viner sees major potential in the "agentic future." Agentic AI, which acts on a user’s behalf to personalize experiences like custom itineraries, could reshape travel entirely. Still, he’s grounded in a core belief: Tech should elevate the human experience, not replace it. "I'm a full believer that the technology is there to enhance the experience, but not take over the entire thing," he says. After all, "there's no reason to leave the house if it's entirely digital."