Iowa, fairly or unfairly not exactly known as an innovative and cutting-edge state, has launched what it calls a “AI travel genius” on its website.
Called Goldie, a nod to the American Goldfinch, the state bird of Iowa, it provides instant answers to any travel or tourism questions about the Hawkeye State. It is a pop-up box, similar to chat boxes on other sites but with AI providing the answers to questions and is on the Travel Iowa website.
“We’re already seeing travelers use Goldie to plan road trips from cities like Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City, including everything from alpaca farm getaways to camping in Northeast Iowa,” says Amy Zeigler, state tourism manager for the Iowa Tourism Office. “One user simply entered the beer emoji, and Goldie immediately recommended local breweries to experience our state’s delicious grain-to-glass flavors.”
Goldie helps everyone explore with tailored travel tips and itineraries. The personalized, real-time responses are generated by AI trained on extensive data from Travel Iowa, coupled with more than 1,000 integrations for travel information from GuideGeek’s award-winning technology.
Out of curosity and to test the system, PubClub.com typed in “how is the nightlife in Iowa. It provided an instant AI answer, leading with this response: “Iowa’s nightlife offers a delightful mix of experiences, from vibrant music venues to cozy bars and unique distilleries. Whether you’re in the mood for live music, craft cocktails, or a laid-back evening with friends, Iowa has something to offer.”
It then listed “Nice Super Cool Music Venues,” followed by “Davenport Date Night” and then a very un-nightlife activity of Iowa’s arts & culture scene.
It does look good because the reply includes photos to go along with the text.
Goldie is an initiative of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Iowa Tourism Office and leverages GuideGeek artificial intelligence technology from Matador Network.
“Iowa basically invented agritourism, and it’s home to so many hidden gems, like the largest skatepark in the U.S. and the ice cream capital of the world,” says Matador Network CEO Ross Borden. “Goldie is designed to help families, couples and more put together the perfect combination of the wide variety of nature, food and cultural experiences Iowa has to offer.”
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