Together with
Luxury travel company Black Tomato is launching an AI-powered itinerary planner called the “Feelings Engine,”which offers ideas based on how travelers would like to feel at the end of their vacation — excited, relaxed, and everything in between.
Why It Vibes: Black Tomato and many other travel agencies have discovered that people today are more concerned with going on vacation to capture a certain feeling rather than simply checking hotspots off a bucket list. If Feelings Engine can inspire travelers to visit places off the beaten path, it could help spread tourism dollars more equitably… and ease the congestion at the most popular destinations.
Behind the Itineraries: Feelings Engine has one overarching question about your travel plans: “How do you want to feel?”
- The Google Search-like tool uses your answer to generate “one great trip idea and some itinerary details to get you inspired and, if needed, kick off a longer conversation,” according to Bloomberg.
- Feelings Engine currently has about 400 itineraries in its database that correspond to a range of emotions. Some destinations match up with competing emotions… they’re just given a different pitch for what to do there.
- Like all things AI, there are kinks to work out — the platform doesn’t collect location data, so determining trips that are close to you doesn’t really work without finessing, and the platform doesn’t take into account transportation options.
The Future: Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant says the Feelings Engine is a “return to the company’s roots” since it was originally founded in 2005 to connect travelers with destinations that matched up with their “emotional desires.” That makes even more sense 20 years later when a Virtuoso/YouGov survey found that 65% of American travelers were explicitly looking to experience “joy or happiness” by vacationing. Jack Ezon of travel consultancy Embark Beyond says that this is especially true of young people — many of whom have been on several international trips with their parents growing up and are now returning to specific places to soak up more of “the vibe, the ambiance, the shopping, the scene.”
It really is about the journey, not the destination.
TOGETHER WITH CANVA
No design skills needed! 🪄✨
Canva Pro is the design software that makes design simple, convenient, and reliable. Create what you need in no time! Jam-packed with time-saving tools that make anyone look like a professional designer.