Tourist 2025: How design, artificial intelligence and authentic experiences are shaping the tourism of the future

On November 20 and 21, Batumi will once again become a meeting place for tourism innovators, professionals and enthusiasts - the Georgian tourism summit "Tourist 2025" is not only the leading forum of the country's industry, but also a platform where ideas turn into experiences. 

This year's summit is exceptionally loaded with practical part. Key topics that the summit will cover include: Marketing and Sales – The importance of space New standards for the hotel and MICE industry The role of artificial intelligence in hospitality The development of authentic regional products.

As part of the program, the audience will meet international speakers who have personal experience of transforming their field.

Levan Leshkasheli, Customer Success Manager at Exely, will talk about the importance of data-driven management. The bottom line is this: successful hotels rely on data, not emotion, to select pricing, channels, and audiences.

"Hotel prices live m It's a mechanism - if the demand increases and free numbers decrease, the system automatically adjusts the price," says Levan.

He shows in detail how the balance between OTAs and direct sales works, why analytics of guest behavior is critical, and how success turns from intuition into numbers. 

For smaller hotels, Levan will also have practical advice from the "tourist" scene on how businesses can improve their online image, how to increase conversions, control prices and, ultimately, feel the pulse of the industry.

"Those who see business not only as renting out rooms, but as creating experiences, grow quickly and win in the long term," he notes.

De Luca Giancarlo, from Data Appeal Company, will present in the technology and innovation session how artificial intelligence is transforming the positioning of hotels and tourist destinations. Its main message is: the future belongs to those decisions based on the "voice" of the market Nebuli.

"If you want the market to see you right, listen to the voice of the traveler themselves in the data. LLMs and analytics translate that voice into understandable language," says Giancarlo.

Giancarlo will devote his speech to an action plan, how representatives of the tourism industry can use artificial intelligence for business management, what plan to act on critical issues, etc.

"Guests reward brands that ask the right questions, listen and respond. That's how you create a positioning that the market buys," he says.

On the power of regional products, Jan Klarova, CEO of the Slovenian company Good Places, will share in detail how regional cooperation, strong branding and digital tools can be turned into a unified tourism product. The Trans Dinarica project implemented with his involvement, a bicycle route spanning eight countries, is already a successful case in Europe. Now, he is working on a similar large-scale project in the Caucasus.

"Our goal is to create products that It also serves the development of not only visitors, but also local communities. That's what Trans Caucasus is - a road that turns villages, culture and nature into economic opportunities," says Ian.

From the tourist stage, he will detail the role of digital channels, how Trans Dinarica's website became the core of sales and how it engaged more than 13,000 cyclists in its first year.

In addition, Jan Klarova will lead a workshop on creating joint tourism products in the region and brainstorming ideas around it.

Another issue that will receive a lot of attention is "The Power of Hotel Design: How Space Transforms Marketing and Sales." Elene Paatashvili, Head of Communications of "Adjara Group", will start talking about hotel design in the context of marketing and sales. 

Elena says that for her, design is not just decor - it is the language of the brand, which speaks to the guest from the first moment.

"Design is a means of expressing the brand's character and philosophy method. It directly determines what kind of emotion the guest will have from the first moment," says Elena.

The speaker will talk to the participants of the summit about how to create an atmosphere that accurately defines the target audience, channels and tone of communication. The experience of "Adjara Group" shows that a space positioned with the right design naturally attracts creative and cultural circles.

"The atmosphere of the space dictates who we talk to and where. That's why we use the channels where this audience actually lives - Instagram, design platforms, lifestyle media," says Elena. 

A representative of the Adjara Group discusses how design creates a unique character of a hotel brand, how visual identity and atmosphere of a space contribute to the proper acquisition and engagement of the target audience, as well as how a design-based experience can become a powerful marketing lever and a stimulus for business growth.

The tourist is approaching - there is only a little time left before the event. Those who wish to participate They can still buy a ticket and not miss one of the most important events in the industry on November 20-21 at the Hilton Hotel in Batumi.

The organizers of the summit are Tourism Institute and Digital Marketing Agency Shindi. 

General sponsors: Beta Holding, Reconomy, Helvetas, Sweden Sverige, Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency SDC. Sponsors: Exely, Julius Meinl, Kirk, "Coliseum Marina" hotel, ibis Styles Batumi, ImediL, Liebherr, Miele. Supporters: e-Consul, Georgian Tourism Association. Media supporters: Entrepreneur.ge, Bm.ge, TravelNews.ge

Tickets can be purchased on the official website of the summit, tourist.ge