The tourism industry is embracing advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven technologies as destinations leverage these tools to enhance visitor experiences, optimize operations and strengthen local economies.

Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Boards’ work with Datafy is a good example, with the pair partnering to develop a data dashboard for sustainable tourism management.

Meanwhile, NYC Tourism + Conventions claims to have developed the first-ever meetings and conventions planning AI-powered chat platform created to suit the needs of business event professionals. Additionally, Visit Isle of Man has launched an innovation challenge inviting developers to create new tools for visitor services using AI.

Leaders from these destinations shared their experiences and insights on how AI and data analytics could reshape the way travelers and destinations interact.

Using data to balance tourism and sustainability

With breathtaking national parks and a booming tourism industry, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, needed a way to balance the needs of both in the interest of managing tourism in a sustainable way. 

John Bowers, marketing manager for the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board, said that accessing essential data in an easily interpretable way could help balance economic growth with environmental preservation.

“In Jackson, we are constantly managing keeping a healthy tourism industry, along with keeping a healthy natural environment,” he said.

“At times, those two are conflicting, and this tool allows us to take a deeper dive into understanding how those relationships marry.”

Previously, Jackson Hole relied on manual data collection from lodging reports, flight tracking, national park visitation numbers, utility data and other sources. By partnering with Datafy, the destination has created a real-time data dashboard that automatically collects and organizes this data, making it easier to visualize and track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as waste management, transportation and wildlife interactions.

“Historically, tracking this data was a Herculean effort—relying on Excel sheets and manual entry. Now, we have automated ingestion systems that provide a unified view, allowing stakeholders to make informed, data-driven decisions in real-time,” said Kelby Bosshardt, co-founder and president of Datafy.

“As new data sources become available, AI makes it easy to integrate and visualize them without needing major engineering work. This flexibility ensures destinations can keep up with shifting trends.”

The transparency that the data models enable for the local community has been a significant win.

“We feel the tension when summer tourism hits—traffic, increased waste, more wildlife collisions,” Bowers said. “Now, with this public-facing dashboard, we can showcase what’s happening and engage the community in discussions based on data rather than speculation.”

The new system also enhances Jackson Hole’s marketing strategies.

“We know that summer is our busiest season,” Bowers said. “Instead of pushing for more visitors, we shift our focus to responsible visitation—educating people on protecting wildlife, reducing congestion and being stewards of the environment.”

AI for engagement and growth

New York City, one of the world’s top travel destinations, is leveraging AI to streamline visitor interactions and improve engagement with meeting organizers. Recognizing a gap in the meeting planning industry, NYC Tourism partnered with GuideGeek to develop an AI-powered tool that helps meeting planners navigate the city’s myriad attractions, dining and entertainment offers.

“We noticed that there wasn’t anyone in the meeting space using AI in this way,” said Nancy Mammana, chief marketing officer of NYC Tourism.

“We partnered with GuideGeek to help meeting planners easily access relevant venues, vendors and resources. Ultimately, we’re here to drive business for our members, and we need to make sure people are engaging with what we have to offer.”

Mammana said that applying AI helps get the message out in a budget-friendly way.

“Ultimately, we want to get people deeper into our content,” she said. “Our advertising budgets aren’t high, but we have really good, useful tools, and AI allows us to leverage them in smarter ways.”

Since launching in early 2025, the results NYC has seen have been remarkable:

• 100% increase in traffic to the meeting planner website
• 800+ AI-driven queries in the first month
• 150% growth in newsletter sign-ups
• 10% increase in time spent on the site

Beyond engagement, AI will also shape NYC’s future content strategy.

“This isn’t just about pushing out information—it’s about listening to our audience,” Mammana said. “By tracking common queries, we can refine our editorial strategy and provide better, more relevant content.”

Looking ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, NYC Tourism expects its AI tool, which supports 45 languages, to be an asset, ensuring accessibility for international visitors.

“We know what’s coming next year, and we want to be prepared,” Mammana said.

Building a digital-first tourism strategy

Visit Isle of Man has launched an innovation challenge that is intended to find developers that will build tools to promote local businesses and make the destination more accessible to visitors.

“Given the advances in technology throughout the customer journey, we felt the time was right to get involved. AI allows us to optimize visitor experiences, tell our brand story and make the Isle of Man easy to explore and enjoy,” said Deborah Heather, CEO of Visit Isle of Man.

The goals of the organization’s AI initiatives are threefold:

• Brand storytelling – using AI to build brand awareness and showcase the island’s unique history and culture
• Optimizing visitor experiences – helping travelers navigate the island, avoid crowds and discover tailored recommendations based on their interests
• Improving booking systems – making it easier for visitors to book directly with local providers instead of relying on high-commission online travel agents (OTAs)

“We want to solve challenges faced by micro and SME [small and midsize] businesses, government-owned attractions and third-sector-run experiences,” Heather said.

“Many struggle with exposure and online bookings, and AI can help them reach more potential customers without being over-reliant on global distribution companies.”

Beyond AI, Visit Isle of Man is capitalizing on data to build a community of “superfans”—visitors who become ambassadors for the island both online and in real life.

Every destination is seeing that people are using AI to make travel decisions more and more. It’s also changing search as we know it, so we have to stay competitive. We need to create good content, but we also need to make sure people can find and engage with it.

Nancy Mammana

“As an island, we are best placed to control our strategy and keep revenues on the island. While global distribution companies play a role, we want to ensure we are not overly dependent on them,” Heather said.

Future-focused strategies

What connects the very different destinations of Jackson Hole, NYC Tourism and Visit Isle of Man is a shared recognition that AI and data analytics will shape the future of tourism.

“I think there’s a lot of room to see what’s working and make adjustments from there,” Bowers said.

“Every destination is seeing that people are using AI to make travel decisions more and more. It’s also changing search as we know it, so we have to stay competitive. We need to create good content, but we also need to make sure people can find and engage with it,” Mammana said.

“We want to make the Isle of Man easy to explore, easy to book and easy to enjoy. AI is helping us achieve that by making tourism more seamless and accessible,” Heather said.

From sustainability in Jackson Hole to digital engagement in NYC and business empowerment in the Isle of Man, data and AI are empowering meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions [MICE] and tourism. The destinations that embrace data-driven decision-making and AI-driven visitor engagement will be better equipped for the future of travel.