As artificial intelligence conquers more and more areas of our lives, the Austrian National Tourist Office is launching the world’s first “Authentic Intelligence”. At “Chat SkiPT”, real-life ski instructors answer live questions about winter holidays and beyond.

With typical Austrian humour and their in-depth expertise, they convey the special flair of a winter holiday in Austria. The ChatSkiPT.com website is already online, with the actual chat phase starting on 17 January 2024.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is finding its way into more and more areas of life, and AI is already being used for holiday planning. Tools such as ChatGPT can provide valuable tips and well-founded information. However, they have not (yet?) mastered the typical Austrian humour. And there is also a residual risk of incorrect results and poor recommendations. Not least because holidays in Austria are all about authentic experiences, the Austrian National Tourist Office is relying on “Authentic Intelligence” - the knowledge and humour of real-life Austrian ski instructors - instead of “Artificial Intelligence” as part of a new marketing
campaign.

CHAT SKIPT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

“Winter holidays in Austria are not just about state-of-the-art ski infrastructure with over 23,000 hectares of pistes and more than 2,600 ski lifts. What makes a holiday in Austria special are the authentic experiences and personal contacts. The conversations with local people, hosts and ski instructors. We at the Austrian National Tourist Office are enthusiastic about technology and open to the possibilities and capabilities of artificial intelligence. With Chat SkiPT, we still want to remind everyone that it’s all about people and that AI cannot replace the friendly Austrian charm, at least not yet,” says Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger, Managing Director of Austrian National Tourist Office.

On the website www.chatskipt.com, visitors write their questions in a chat window, similar to ChatGPT. Instead of AI, 15 ski instructors from the Austrian ski regions respond. The experts provide in-depth specialist knowledge about skiing, reveal how to enjoy the Austrian winter and are also happy to share a word or two of wisdom. You can chat from Wednesday, 17 January 2024 to Saturday, 20 January 2024 during fixed time slots. The chat is available in English, German and Dutch. Information on the chat times can be found on the website.

“With Chat SkiPT, we are generating additional attention for winter in Austria alongside our regular high-reach campaigns in Austria’s 12 most important foreign markets. In the 2022/23 winter season, winter sports enthusiasts in Austria generated sales of 12.6 billion euros, which corresponds to direct and indirect added value of 6.7 billion euros. Winter in Austria is crucial for the economic success of our tourism country and I am delighted that we as the Austrian National Tourist Office can make our contribution in the form of modern, effective communication,” says Steharnig-Staudinger.

The campaign was developed in co-operation with the agency Wien Nord Serviceplan, which has been the new lead agency of the Austrian National Tourist Office since last year.