Travelers planning a trip to Toronto or exploring the city can now rely on 6ix, an AI travel genius that can provide instant answers to any and all travel or tourism questions about the city. Destination Toronto recently launched the new feature at DestinationToronto.com as well as on Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook using GuideGeek artificial intelligence technology from Matador Network.
Named in a nod to the city’s nickname, “The Six” – a reference to the six boroughs of Toronto popularized by Toronto-born musician Drake – the AI can instantly plan an entire itinerary, or answer specific questions about museums, activities, historical sites, restaurants, hotels and more. The personalized, real-time responses are generated by AI trained on extensive data from Destination Toronto and enhanced by more than 1,000 integrations for travel information from GuideGeek’s award-winning technology.
To access 6ix, travelers simply visit DestinationToronto.com and click the chat box in the bottom right corner of the site. This opens a chat window with the AI, which gives tailored responses based on the information users share, such as their interests, preferences, size of their group, ages and more.
Travelers can also message with 6ix on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger and take the AI with them as they explore the city. By sending a message to the Destination Toronto account of their choice, users can start planning a trip to the city or get quick answers while already in the city, dining at one of the city’s many diverse restaurants, enjoying the sun in an urban park or riding the TTC to a cultural festival or sporting event.
“In just the first two months, 6ix received over 7,500 messages from more than 2,700 users, indicating that users continued to engage with the AI after their initial response.”,” said Paula Port, VP of Global Marketing at Destination Toronto. “6ix users can fine-tune their itineraries to incorporate preferences, like ‘please include art galleries within walking distance of the subway’ or ‘please share restaurants that will appeal to both adults and children’. The ability to engage in conversation and add personalization is where the real power of GenAI for travel reveals itself.”
Toronto is the first major city in the world to leverage GuideGeek technology. Destination marketing organizations (DMOs or tourism boards) representing countries such as Greece and Aruba or regions such as Illinois and Reno/Lake Tahoe have already seen success with the technology.
