Axios Event: Digital tools are welcome, but travel depends on people's hospitality, leaders say

CANNES, FRANCE – Technology and AI can enhance travel for consumers but can't replace human connection, leaders said at an Axios event at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Axios' Sara Fischer and Kerry Flynn spoke with Reddit CEO and co-founder Steve Huffman, Hilton chief marketing officer Mark Weinstein and United MileagePlus Holdings CEO Richard Nunn at the June 17 event, sponsored by Tripadvisor.

What they're saying: "As we enter the AI search era, there's actually kind of another generation of Reddit, which is as the "not AI platform," the place where you're free from AI, where you talk to humans about human things," Huffman said.

• "And then paradoxically, we're also building AI search ourselves over all of those human conversations," he added.
• The sense of community on Reddit benefits both users and brands, according to Huffman, because of the genuine feedback that members share about their personal travel experiences.
• "Even advertising on Reddit is more human than anywhere else, because you would be in a community, and so you have to be appreciative of the fact that you're in an unofficial, informal community space," he said.

State of play: Companies in the travel industry are competing to win customer loyalty in a crowded marketplace.

• Hilton tries to strike a balance between digital convenience and human interaction to improve the guest experience, Weinstein said. "If we can automate the parts that need to be automated to take the friction out of travel, that frees up our team members to do what they do best, which is deliver human hospitality."
• For loyalty programs, "the fundamentals are still solid and great, but what we talk about is how we enrich a traveler's journey, so going beyond the kind of core thing of flying," Nunn said.

Content from the sponsored segment:

In a View From the Top conversation, Tripadvisor global vice president Christine Maguire said she believes AI can be a "disruptor" for the travel industry.

• "If you think about all of the touch points across transportation and TSA and getting to the airport, your flights, your hotels, your experiences, your restaurants – I think there's a huge opportunity to take that fragmentation and create some sort of trip wallet where all of those loyalty programs, all of those pieces across the entire journey are integrated and a way better consumer experience overall," Maguire said.