AI Could Be an 'Existential Threat' to DMOs. How Some Are Getting Ahead of the Curve
Skift Take
Big Lincoln is the AI chatbot mascot on Enjoy Illinois, the website run by the Illinois Office of Tourism and charged with carrying out travel marketing campaigns for the state.
The organization launched the tool in June and has received more than 8,000 messages from users since then, according to Daniel Thomas, deputy director for the Illinois Office of Tourism.
The same AI that powers the website’s chatbot will soon power replies for the organization’s accounts on the Meta-owned social media platforms Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Illinois is among a growing number of destination marketing organizations (DMOs) that have integrated similar generative AI tools.
Despite initial pushback from DMOs on adopting the tech, some leaders in the sector are moving ahead.
Brand USA recently hired Janette Roush for the newly established role of chief AI officer. Funded partially by the U.S. federal government, the organization leads the country’s international tourism marketing and often consults with smaller DMOs.
Roush said during a Brand USA conference last month that now is the time for DMOs to get ahead of
