Klook and Meta put AI in the travel agent’s seat

Klook has partnered with Meta to integrate its travel experiences into Muse, allowing travellers to discover and book activities through conversations with the tech giant's personal AI agent.

The integration launches alongside Muse's debut in Japan and is designed to bring the travel booking journey, from discovery and comparison to booking, into a single AI-powered conversation.

Through the integration, travellers can tell Muse where they are going and share details such as their interests, availability and preferences. The AI agent can then draw from Klook's inventory of 426,000 bookable offerings across more than 4,600 destinations to recommend relevant experiences.

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Users can continue the conversation by asking follow-up questions, comparing different experiences and checking booking conditions, including cancellation and rescheduling policies.

Once a traveller decides on an experience, they can instruct Muse to proceed with the booking. The AI agent will place the order before directing the user to Klook's secure payment page to complete the transaction. Following payment, Muse will confirm the booking within the same conversation, where the details will remain available for reference.

According to Klook, Muse will seek confirmation from travellers before carrying out sensitive actions such as placing an order or initiating a payment.

Beyond streamlining the booking process, Klook said the integration could also help travellers discover experiences beyond major tourist attractions. By matching a traveller's interests and context with Klook's inventory, the company said smaller and independent merchants could gain greater visibility among relevant travellers.

The partnership comes as Klook looks to tap into the growing use of AI for travel inspiration and planning, shifting the technology's role from simply recommending destinations and activities towards taking actions on behalf of travellers.

"For over a decade, Klook has worked with local operators to bring a world of diverse and authentic experiences online, connecting them with travelers around the world," said Jakii Chu, senior vice president, global marketing at Klook.

"Now, we're taking travel discovery to the next level with Meta's Muse, innovating together as travelers increasingly turn to AI for inspiration and trip planning. With a personal travel agent at their fingertips, travelers can discover Klook's breadth of experiences faster and with ease, finding options that match their interests and travel plans," she added.

The Meta tie-up follows another travel partnership for Klook last month, when it teamed up with Visa across six Southeast Asian markets as it looks to tap the growing role of experiences in travel planning.

Spanning Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, the partnership combines Klook's experiences platform with Visa's payments network. It covers joint creator programmes, cardholder offers and in-destination brand presence, while also bringing Klook onto Visa Destinations as a partner. The partnership comes as travellers increasingly build trips around activities and experiences rather than beginning with a fixed destination.

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