This article is inspired by an interview with Matthieu Chevrier, Chief Digital Officer at Gekko Group, published in DéplacementsPros on 16 April 2025. It highlights the practical applications of artificial intelligence on the group’s platforms – with a focus on Teldar Travel, the solution designed for leisure travel agents.
AI already well integrated behind the scenes... and soon to be visible for users.
The first technical uses of AI internally
It all started in 2022, with machine learning for hotel mapping.
"It wasn't generative AI, but it was very practical."
Since then, our teams have also been using generative AI for:
- Generate code more quickly;
- Translate more efficiently;
- Structure our databases.
Concrete projects for leisure travel agents.
An intelligent assistant to recommend hotels hotels.
Teldar Travel is developing an intelligent booking assistant capable of offering personalised suggestions based on clients' needs.
"We have the idea of developing a travel agent for the Leisure side, capable of offering personalised advice."
An automated customer support, always with a human touch.
Another ongoing AI project focuses on automating customer support to respond more quickly to recurring requests, while retaining human intervention for more complex situations.
"This new tool aims to provide tailored information for travellers and save time for our in-person agents."
A more intuitive and responsive interface
Thanks to AI, the platform is moving towards smoother navigation, with dynamic recommendations and an intelligent search engine.
Challenges and obstacles still persist nonetheless.
"Regarding the obstacles, the cost of these new tools remains the main issue. The 'build' phase has been significantly reduced with the emergence of players like OpenAI, but the production phase represents a very high cost, depending on the amount of data you input into the system. It is therefore essential to consider your needs to optimise costs. Finally, data processing is, in our view, still a sensitive subject. In 2025, we have chosen to primarily use generic data to feed our databases to avoid taking risks, until the legislative framework is clearer and the first feedback from experiences is conclusive."
Specificities of the travel market to consider for synergy between industry players.
The business travel market is complex and interconnected, especially when it comes to hotel distribution. The evolution of APIs is key to integrating customer-oriented AI, but it requires collaboration among industry players. Generative AI is a powerful lever for improving travel agents' productivity and enhancing the user experience. However, better synergy and smoother data sharing are essential to advance the entire sector.
This is what we are striving towards, in order to maximise the added value of AI, which is already transforming the industry and will continue to shape its future.