International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) launches Facebook-powered chatbot to assist the LGBT+ communities with planning travel.
THE INTERNATIONAL Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) has teamed up with Paris-based start-up company Hopstay, to develop an LGBT+ travel chatbot to assist travellers in planning their trips.
The chatbot, which resides within Facebook Messenger, is available on desktop, tablet and mobile. Sharing LGBT+ welcoming travel opportunities, it offers recommendations for destinations, travel agents, hotels, transport, tours, events and special offers in more than 80 countries.
IGLTA members also will benefit from this additional mobile channel that will drive on-the-go LGBT+ travellers to their offers, products and services, which are all housed on the IGLTA website. The chatbot is just one step in a major effort IGLTA is making to assist travellers in finding LGBT+ welcoming opportunities through new online resources and enhanced content.
“We realise that travellers are tech savvy and rely more and more on social media and mobile devices when planning and looking for inspiration for their next trip,” said John Tanzella, IGLTA President/CEO. “Our LGBT+ travel chatbot not only provides insight for travellers who know where they want to go, but also provides inspiration and recommendations for those who aren’t quite sure where to go next. The Inspire Me feature can even suggest LGBTQ-welcoming tours, events and special offers around the world that a traveller may not have previously found in their research.”
“As supporters of the LGBT+ communities and LGBT+ welcoming travel, we are proud to work with IGLTA on their travel chatbot,” said Lucas Lovell, Managing Director of Hopstay. “As consumer trends change, it’s important for travel organisations to evolve and ensure their content is distributed in a way that meets user expectations. The IGLTA chatbot serves the traveller in a multitude of ways, from finding out more about LGBTQ-welcoming destinations to all the latest events on the LGBTQ calendar, directly from their mobile device on a platform they’re using every day.”
The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association is the leading member-based global organisation dedicated to LGBT+ tourism and a proud Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.
IGLTA’s mission is to provide information and resources for LGBT+ travellers and advance LGBT+ tourism globally by demonstrating its significant social and economic impact. IGLTA membership includes LGBT+ and LGBT+ friendly accommodations, destinations, service providers, travel agents, tour operators, events and travel media in more than 80 countries.