Klook, a leading travel platform in Asia, is taking its partnership with Google Cloud to new heights, aiming to transform how travelers explore the world and how the company operates. This deepened collaboration focuses on leveraging generative AI to improve customer experiences, streamline operations for merchants, and enhance internal efficiency. By building an organization-wide AI infrastructure, Klook is laying the foundation for innovative travel solutions that meet the evolving needs of customers, partners, and employees.

Bringing AI Innovation to Travel Experiences

Klook’s partnership with Google Cloud is not a new endeavor, but the expanded collaboration introduces a more robust AI strategy. The platform has already seen promising results, using generative AI to streamline content creation and localization for its travel pages. Previously, producing these pages was time-consuming and required extensive manual input. Now, thanks to AI integration, Klook has reduced production times by over 80%, all while achieving higher translation accuracy and content quality.

The partnership also addresses software development. By using AI tools for code review and testing, Klook’s engineering teams have increased their efficiency by 60% and improved platform performance by up to 70%. These advancements not only highlight the impact of AI on operational efficiency but also mark a significant milestone in Klook’s mission to offer seamless, top-notch travel experiences.

Klook’s Chief Technology Officer and co-founder, Bernie Xiong, expressed the significance of this expanded partnership: “Even in our earliest explorations with Google Cloud, generative AI has improved Klook’s ability to drive greater efficiencies at scale as we expanded our global footprint. Our expanded collaboration with Google Cloud pushes the boundaries of what’s possible with AI in travel, creating a competitive edge that translates into faster, more impactful improvements to customer experience, merchant operations, and internal productivity for the long haul.”

AI-Powered Solutions for Customers, Partners, and Teams

As part of its AI roadmap, Klook is set to introduce innovative features in the coming year, each tailored to address pain points for different groups—customers, partners, and internal teams. For travelers, a new “shopping guide” feature is in development. This tool will use AI to analyze and summarize customer reviews, making it easier for users to compare similar experiences and make confident decisions. This feature is a first-of-its-kind innovation among online travel agents (OTAs) in Asia, setting Klook apart in a highly competitive industry.

For Klook’s merchant partners, the partnership has led to valuable insights. In early trials, a new AI solution was deployed to summarize user feedback into constructive recommendations for businesses. The result? Partners saw notable improvements in service quality. One merchant even used the feedback to create a new attraction-related product that now accounts for 24% of their total revenue. These insights highlight how AI can turn user feedback into actionable business strategies that drive growth.

Internally, Klook’s engineering teams are tapping into Google’s Gemini Code Assist to optimize code generation and testing. Beyond engineering, other departments such as marketing and finance are exploring ways to automate labor-intensive tasks like search engine optimization (SEO) and financial reconciliation. By integrating AI across the organization, Klook is working to enhance productivity and free up its teams to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Building a Robust AI Infrastructure with Google Cloud

The expanded partnership includes co-developing a shared AI infrastructure layer that will serve as the backbone of Klook’s AI innovations. This infrastructure will support the validation of AI-generated outputs, ensuring accuracy and reliability. With Google Cloud’s guidance, Klook is implementing best practices around responsible AI use and building its in-house technical expertise. This approach not only strengthens Klook’s current capabilities but also sets the stage for seamless integration of future AI advancements.

Earlier in the year, Klook adopted Google’s Gemini foundation model, which significantly improved translation accuracy compared to the previous model, PaLM-2. Google’s core APIs have also contributed to the stability of Klook’s AI infrastructure, enabling the company to maintain a robust foundation even as technologies evolve. This proactive approach to AI adoption is crucial for a company like Klook, which aims to be at the forefront of digital transformation in the travel industry.

Transforming Travel Through AI and Local Insights

Klook’s AI strategy is deeply rooted in travel knowledge and local insights. The platform plans to harness user reviews and destination information to refine its AI-powered conversational commerce approach. This vision involves creating a chat-based interface that mimics interactions with a travel expert, offering real-time, personalized recommendations. Such a feature could revolutionize trip planning, making it more interactive, intuitive, and tailored to individual travelers’ needs.

The emphasis on local insights doesn’t stop there. Klook’s existing AI solutions, like its generative AI for content creation, are already drawing on a wealth of user feedback and destination data. This combination of AI and local knowledge is key to providing travelers with unique and authentic perspectives. Whether it’s helping users navigate cultural experiences or offering real-time guidance during their trips, Klook’s AI strategy aims to make travel planning more enjoyable and engaging.

Karan Bajwa, Vice President of Google Cloud in Asia Pacific, praised the collaboration: “Klook’s shared AI infrastructure layer will maximize the impact of innovations in any part of its business while minimizing the risks of duplicated effort and data fragmentation of more siloed approaches to AI development. This puts Klook in a strong position to solidify its first-mover advantage on generative AI and translate its wealth of travel experience into immense value for its customers and partners, no matter where their journey takes them.”

Final Thoughts: A Partnership Paving the Way for Smarter Travel

Klook’s expanded partnership with Google Cloud signals a commitment to embracing AI as a core driver of its business strategy. By leveraging generative AI to improve content creation, optimize internal workflows, and enhance customer experiences, Klook is positioning itself as a leader in the travel industry’s digital transformation. From new features like the “shopping guide” to insightful solutions for partners, the company is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in travel.

As Klook continues to refine its AI infrastructure and develop new capabilities, the focus remains on delivering value to all stakeholders. For travelers, this means more personalized, interactive, and authentic experiences. For merchants, it offers practical insights that can drive business growth. And for internal teams, AI integration is unlocking new levels of efficiency and creativity.

With a clear vision for the future and a strong foundation in place, Klook’s collaboration with Google Cloud sets the stage for even more exciting innovations in travel. As the travel landscape evolves, Klook’s commitment to AI-driven solutions ensures that it will continue to be a go-to platform for exploring the world, one smart recommendation at a time.