The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the travel industry, and companies are adapting to these changes. Velit Dundar, VP of global e-commerce for Radisson Hotel Group, discussed the company’s latest innovations with AI, including the launch of a new price matching feature in July.
The feature detects lower rates for Radisson Hotel Group properties on online travel agencies, verifies them, and matches them on Radisson’s website. This change aims to make the booking process more efficient for guests.
AI Transformation in Travel
Velit Dundar shared his thoughts on the role of AI in the hotel industry, stating that AI should remove friction, simplify decisions, and take repetitive work away from teams, allowing them to focus on delivering warm, personal, and memorable experiences.
The biggest impact of AI on Radisson Hotel Group has been moving from manual intervention to proactive intelligence at scale. For instance, the Price Match feature has delivered a 19% uplift in direct-channel conversion since its launch.
Agentic AI in Hospitality
Velit Dundar shared his thought on agentic AI’s role in the hotel industry, areas for innovation and more.
In the context of hospitality, being “AI native” is not about adding AI as a layer on top of existing processes, but about rethinking the guest journey, the commercial model, and the way teams work from the ground up, with intelligence, automation, and data embedded into the experience.
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Beyond AI, Radisson Hotel Group is exploring other technological innovations, including a modern, unified technology ecosystem and rethinking discoverability through generative engine optimization (GEO).
The company is also investing in the building blocks of a modern direct platform, such as richer merchandising and stronger direct booking and loyalty value through Radisson Rewards. A test-and-learn mindset across the team allows them to experiment quickly and scale what works.
As the travel industry continues to evolve, Radisson Hotel Group is positioning itself for the future, focusing on responsible and purposeful use of AI to improve trust, relevance, and ease for customers.
The concept of being “AI native” is key for Radisson Hotel Group, as it involves rethinking the guest journey, commercial model, and team workflows from the ground up, with intelligence, automation, and data embedded into the experience.
The company’s test-and-learn mindset is essential for its AI initiatives, allowing it to experiment quickly, measure honestly, and scale what works.
As Radisson Hotel Group continues to innovate and invest in AI, it is clear that the company is committed to using technology to improve the guest experience, remove friction, and create more time for human connection. With its focus on responsible and purposeful use of AI, Radisson Hotel Group is well-positioned to thrive in the evolving travel industry.
