Scale Vs Soul: AI's Real Impact on Tourism

What does AI actually mean for the tourism industry - and are most of us still just reading about it rather than using it? In this episode, Ged is joined by Dado, keynote speaker, author, and technology strategist, whom he met at the Designing Travel event in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The conversation ranges from AI adoption curves to the growing value of authentic human connection, and why the most dangerous place to be right now is the middle ground.

In this episode:

Dado breaks down what he calls the three levels of AI adoption, and why most organisations are still wrestling with level one.

He introduces his "scale and soul" framework, arguing that the best tourism businesses won't choose between technology and human experience; they'll master both.

There's also a fascinating discussion on how AI is reshaping search, what generative engine optimisation (GEO) means for your website strategy, and why smaller destinations may actually be better placed than large ones to capitalise on everything AI has to offer.

Key takeaways:

Around 70% of organisations are still at the basic adoption stage - figuring out which tool to use at all
The real competitive advantage in the next 2–3 years will come from combining your own proprietary data with AI platforms
AI is creating a genuine level playing field for smaller destinations with limited resources
The 100-hour rule: just 18 minutes a day puts you ahead of 99% of people on any given topic
Your website should increasingly be structured as a training dataset for machines, not just a magazine for visitors
TikTok remains significantly undervalued in travel marketing - and it's not just for kids
The loneliness epidemic presents a genuine and meaningful opportunity for the travel industry

About Dado

https://www.dadovanpeteghem.com

Connect with Dado

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dadovanpeteghem/

The Tourism Seasonality Summit

https://seasonalitysummit.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tourism-seasonality-summit/

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