Lastminute com N : .com launches two new holiday planning products powered by ChatGPT

Media Release

lastminute.com launches two new holiday planning

products powered by ChatGPT

• New CEO of lastminute.com believes investment in innovation via AI is a key driver in future tailored travel experiences.
• This is the frst use of a Large Language Model on both the App and website aimed at enhancing user experience
• The "Hook, Look, Book" approach will see travellers given recommendations via a mix of ChatGPT and in-house machine learning.
• UK chosen to pilot the scheme which can give customers curated city itineraries within the blink of an eye.

Chiasso, 2. May 2023 Want to know where to go in 2023 - well that will take two seconds with a duo of new trip planning services leveraging Large Language Models through ChatGPT. The UK was chosen by lastminute.com, the European Travel Tech leader in dynamic holiday packages, to launch the products on their App and on the homepage of the website.

With a brand name synonymous with time urgency, lastminute.com hopes their new Artifcial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem research tool will help all travellers plan their trips with less efort.

Created by our in-house team of Data Scientists and Developers it represents an important advancement in the capabilities of our platforms. The Beta experiment is completely in line with the company's mission to lead the travel industry by leveraging technology to simplify, personalise, and enhance the travel experience.

UK App users can now choose the right City Break for them by inputting their chosen destination, selecting the main things they want to do while away (e.g. shopping, nightlife, art & culture) and being given an in-depth itinerary to help them decide if it's the place for them.

Website userswill see a new tab giving them the chance to search countries and connect the suggested AI trip with bookable hotels. For example, we will help you plan your trip through Mexico, creating an itinerary tailored to your needs with stops, accommodations and much more.

Becoming a "trusted travel companion" for customers is top of the agenda for new lastminute.com CEO, Luca Concone, who has made AI and Machine Learning innovation a priority.

He said: "While some people love the painstaking planning of trips, others might want some extra help in that area, and this is where AI really comes into its own. The integration of ChatGPT within our own platforms is a further step towards an increasingly digital and personalised travel experience. We want to allow our customers as much travel information at their fngertips as possible but combined with speedy booking options which we can do by mixing the great power of our proprietary Dynamic Packages technology together with AI."

Recognising the power of AI

lastminute.com has already implemented AI and machine learning in diferent areas of the business, from customer service to dynamic pricing, ranking, and recommendations.

"One of the cornerstones of our strategy for the near future is to further develop our technology and data platform by a stronger leverage of AI technologies. We see the launch of our frst travel planning services powered by ChatGPT as a springboard to start experimenting with this technology and assess its future potential. The world of travel has the opportunity to experience a real revolution through the use of AI and we are proud to be part of it" commented Corrado Casto, lastminute.com's Chief Technology Ofcer.

The service will frst be implemented as a test in the United Kingdom only. Further improvements to the beta version will be released in the coming months and no personal data will be used in the testing.

Here's how to try it for yourself

1. Download the App on iOSor Android

1. Before opening the App, set your phone language to English UK. For iOS, it is sufcient to change the language of the app, not the phone.
2. Open the App and enjoy!

About lastminute.com

lastminute.com is the European Travel-Tech leader in dynamic holiday packages. It operates a portfolio of well-known brands such as lastminute.com, Volagratis, Rumbo, weg.de, Bravofly, Jetcost and Hotelscan. Our mission is to lead the travel industry by leveraging technology to simplify, personalise, and enhance our customers' travel experience. We continuously invest in talented people who ensure our offering is closer to the needs of the customers and keep us at the cutting edge of technology evolution. We run our business in 17 languages and 40 countries, with more than 1,500 employees spread across our offices worldwide, developing our own products and services to power the entire traveler journey for millions of people. lastminute.com N.V. is a publicly-traded company listed under the ticker symbol LMN on SIX Swiss Exchange.