How chatbots are changing the hospitality industry – HiJiffy – Medium

Over 2.5 billion people have at least one messaging app installed and is estimated that by the end of 2018 a total of 3.6 billion users will be using messaging apps to connect with friends and businesses, being now clear that messaging really is the new social media. Many hotels already offer messaging options to their guests, some giving the ability to text them through their own apps or establishing messaging channels like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or even SMS. The real revolution is yet to come and is showing is first signs. When major messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger and Slack introduced bots earlier in 2016, became clear that bots will be an integral part of the future. Some travel brands embraced the new technology almost immediately -- Kayak, Skyscanner, Expedia.com have launched bots of their own -- and is expected that in the following months more travel brands and independent hotels will follow the trend.