Unlocking AI Potential for Tourism: AETC Concludes Three-Part Webinar Series for Arctic Tourism Professionals

Webinar series: AI in tourism for Arctic Europe

The Arctic Europe Tourism Cluster (AETC) recently completed a transformative three-part webinar series focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI), offering tourism professionals in Northern Norway, Swedish Lapland, and Finnish Lapland a comprehensive toolkit to enhance business growth, streamline operations, and adopt sustainable practices. Funded by Interreg Aurora and hosted in partnership with Finnish digital marketing agency Kuulu, the series delivered both introductory and advanced AI techniques specifically curated for Arctic tourism businesses, with practical exercises and real-world case studies to encourage immediate application.

AETC -project conducted a webinar series on AI in tourism for Arctic Europe tourism professionals

In-Depth Look at the Webinar Series

Power of AI in the Tourism Industry
The first session offered an essential introduction to AI’s growing influence across various sectors, emphasizing its transformative power within tourism. Participants learned the basics of AI and how it can enhance customer service, optimize marketing, and streamline operations, enabling tourism businesses to deliver more personalized and efficient services. The webinar also tackled a critical question: Is content quality still king in the age of AI? Ville led a lively discussion on the importance of content quality, demonstrating that AI can support content creation without compromising authenticity. The session ended with hands-on exercises where participants experimented with simple AI tools, laying the groundwork for deeper exploration in future sessions.

AI Tools for Tourism Business Intelligence
The second session focused on specific AI tools that can enhance business intelligence in tourism. Participants were introduced to three powerful platforms: Perplexity for advanced research, Gummy Search for customer insights, and VenturusAI for competitor analysis. Through live demos, Ville showed how Perplexity could be used to uncover trends in sustainable tourism, a key focus for Arctic destinations. Gummy Search allowed participants to analyze online conversations around Arctic tourism on forums like Reddit, offering valuable insights into traveler preferences and pain points. Finally, with VenturusAI, participants explored competitor strategies, identifying ways to differentiate their services. The session concluded with a discussion on integrating these tools into daily operations, supporting data-driven decisions that promote business growth while aligning with sustainability goals.

Advanced AI Techniques – Build Your Own MyGPT Bot
The final session provided advanced training, with a spotlight on prompt engineering and creating custom MyGPT bots to meet tourism needs. Ville guided participants through crafting precise prompts tailored to common tourism scenarios, such as customer service and itinerary planning, to maximize AI’s responsiveness and relevance. Participants then took a deep dive into creating their own MyGPT bot, with practical exercises centered on building a bot like the “Arctic Tour Planner” to assist in itinerary creation and offer local recommendations. This hands-on experience with custom bot development aimed to empower businesses to enhance customer engagement and automate time-consuming processes, providing high-quality support to travelers without sacrificing the authenticity that Arctic tourism values. The session concluded with a brief look at ethical AI usage, encouraging participants to maintain data privacy and a personal touch in their customer interactions.

Access Webinar Recordings through AETC YouTube channel
For those unable to attend the live sessions or interested in revisiting key topics, recordings and session materials are available in Arctic Europe Tourism Clusters YouTube channel. These resources provide a valuable opportunity for tourism professionals to explore AI’s capabilities at their own pace, with practical tools and insights for integrating AI into everyday business operations.

Meet the coach: Ville Pohjonen from Kuulu Oy

Ville Pohjonen, Kuulu Oy

Leading this series was Ville Pohjonen, Creative Director and Owner of Kuulu Oy, a Finnish digital marketing and coaching company. With over a decade of experience, Ville is recognized for his innovative work with some of Finland’s top brands, such as Kesko, OP, and Nokia. His areas of expertise include using AI for creative design, content creation, and visual storytelling, as well as building brand recognition through strategic content and digital engagement. Ville’s award-winning projects, including the Vuoden Huiput award for creative video production and the Rekrygaala Recruitment Campaign of the Year award, highlight his unique approach to brand growth. With a deep background in video and TV production, Ville combines technical know-how with creative vision, helping tourism professionals discover how to harness AI effectively. His real-world experience and hands-on approach made him an ideal trainer for this AI webinar series, which guided participants in leveraging AI tools tailored specifically for the Arctic tourism industry.

AETC’s Commitment to Sustainable Development Goals

In line with AETC’s commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), these webinars support SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by fostering digital skills essential for sustainable, year-round tourism, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through cross-border knowledge sharing and cooperation. By empowering local tourism professionals with AI tools, AETC promotes sustainable development across Arctic communities.

The Future of AI in Arctic Tourism

The AETC is dedicated to supporting Arctic tourism businesses as they embrace digital tools to stay competitive and sustainable. With AI’s potential to streamline operations, personalize visitor experiences, and gather actionable insights, the integration of AI will help Arctic tourism professionals adapt to evolving market demands while maintaining a commitment to responsible tourism. As the tourism industry faces new challenges, such as changing travel patterns and environmental considerations, AI offers a promising avenue for Arctic businesses to innovate and grow responsibly.

Stay connected with AETC for future resources, training, and initiatives focused on integrating AI and sustainable practices in Arctic Europe tourism.