During the GBTA Convention 2024, Nonna Alomaja, our VP of Product Marketing at ALTOUR, took the stage with Monisa Cline for a fascinating interview. They explored the exciting future of travel technology, focusing on how ALTOUR Intelligence is leading the charge with cutting-edge AI tools. From simplifying expense management to creating personalised virtual avatars for travel policy compliance, Nonna shared how AI is positioned to revolutionise corporate travel.
Watch the Full Interview Here.
Monisa Cline:
Good afternoon, I’m Monisa Cline here at the GBTA broadcast studio, and joining me today is Nonna Alomaja. She is the Vice President of Product Marketing for ALTOUR.
Nonna, welcome! I understand this is your first GBTA?
Nonna Alomaja:
It certainly is.
Monisa:
Are you enjoying it?
Nonna:
I really am, yes.
Monisa:
Getting a lot out of it? Meeting a lot of people?
Nonna:
Yes, absolutely.
Monisa:
And have you had a lot of activity at the booth?
Nonna:
We have! We relaunched our new AI Book at GBTA, and there’s been a lot of interest, which is very exciting.
Advancements in Travel Technology
Monisa:
How are advancements in travel tech simplifying expense management and reporting for corporate travellers?
Nonna:
Over the next few months to a year, we’re going to see this area become fully automated. Travellers won’t need to snap a receipt or input data manually anymore. With the rise of technologies like blockchain, expenses will be taken care of automatically. This is something other industries have had for a while, and it’s now coming to travel, which is going to be a game changer for travellers. They won’t have to worry about managing expenses; it will all be handled behind the scenes.
Compliance and Flexibility for Corporate Travellers
Monisa:
How can travel tech solutions help ensure compliance with corporate travel policies while still offering flexibility to travellers? How do you accomplish both?
Nonna:
It’s definitely possible. One of the key components of our new AI Suite is AI Insights, which allows you to track workforce compliance. We’ve also introduced AI Transform, which helps create virtual avatars to aid in policy adoption.
The thing with travellers is, you’ve got your frequent Road Warriors, but then there are those who only travel once or twice a year. They may not always be familiar with policies. With AI Transform, these travellers can access up-to-date information on their policies – whether it’s how much they can spend on overnight expenses or if they’re eligible to fly business class. AI makes it easy for them to stay informed and compliant without a steep learning curve.
The Future of AI in Travel Tech
Monisa:
How do you see the integration of AI and large language models transforming the travel tech industry in the next five years?
Nonna:
This is the area that’s really going to boom. With our AI Book, we already use large language models to enhance the booking experience. You can simply have a conversation—“Can you get me a flight from London to New York? I want to leave next Thursday and return on Monday”—and the system will understand that, create an itinerary, and handle all the bookings automatically.
I see this spreading across all interactions within travel, whether it’s finding a conference venue or figuring out the best route to a destination. Instead of having to Google or call an agent, you can just speak into an app, and it will do all the work for you. The future is about reducing the manual effort travellers currently have to put in, and AI will make that happen.
Monisa:
Wow, I feel like this is a science fiction movie! It’s wonderful – that’s really exciting and it’s right around the corner too.
Nonna:
It really is.
Monisa:
Nonna, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us and enlighten us on what’s ahead for ALTOUR and the business travel industry.
Click here for more on how ALTOUR Intelligence is shaping the future of corporate travel, or contact us to be in touch to learn more about these innovations.
