Saudi Tourism launches AI travel companion
Saudi's new AI travel companion promises personalised trip planning and local insights through a hyper-realistic digital human interface. Olivia Palamountain reports
The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has unveiled an AI travel buddy called Sara, showcased in beta mode at London's World Travel Market in November, 2024.
Billed as the first digital hyper-realistic human travel companion created for a national tourism board, Sara goes beyond conventional chatbots by offering visitors a lifelike interactive experience.
The system features contextual understanding and learning capabilities, remembering past conversations to provide personalised travel recommendations and real-time assistance. "Sara will embody Saudi's future-forward approach to tourism," the STA announced at the launch. The AI companion combines realistic artificial intelligence with cultural context and current data to deliver what the authority describes as "a uniquely immersive and highly personalised travel experience."
The digital ambassador has been designed with a carefully crafted backstory as a young Saudi national who has extensively explored the country.
According to the STA, Sara can introduce visitors to hidden gems and create bespoke itineraries featuring authentic local experiences tailored to individual preferences.
The development process involved collaboration with local communities and cultural experts to ensure authenticity.
Sara utilises multilingual Generative AI technology to interact with visitors, proactively asking questions to make relevant suggestions and assist with travel planning across Saudi Arabia's tourism ecosystem.
The system's visual capabilities allow it to showcase Saudi attractions and diversity before visitors arrive, creating what the STA terms "an immediate visualisation" that distinguishes it from existing tourism AI tools.
Sara's launch represents part of Saudi Arabia's broader strategy to establish itself as a premier leisure destination through technological innovation.
The AI companion is currently available in its beta version, with further developments expected as the system continues to evolve.
The German National Tourist Board also launched an AI ambassador recently called Emma.