WION Iconic Tourism Summit 2026: AI is a tool, not a replacement for people, say experts

During the WION Iconic Tourism Summit and Awards 2026, being held in New Delhi on Wednesday, the role of artificial intelligence in tourism, the need for a skilled workforce and the importance of human interaction came up as key themes.

An insightful session brought together Tribhuvan Darbari, Chairman, BIMSTEC Business Council Secretariat, India; KB Kachru, Chairman, Radisson Hotel Group, South Asia; and Ravi Nandan Sinha, Director, Strategic Investments & Economic Partnerships, MSME Business Forum India, who discussed how the tourism industry can adapt to technological changes while preserving the experiences and personal connections.

AI should be used as a tool, not a replacement

Ravi Nandan Sinha said artificial intelligence should be viewed as a tool that can help entrepreneurs and businesses, but one should not see it as something that will replace them. “AI is just a tool, AI is just something which you have to use it."

He further said, "Today, an MSME needs to have, as our Honorable Minister also said, experiential tourism, not a monumental tourism."

Sinha argued that AI could also help improve several everyday aspects of travel, including hotel check-ins and room-service processes.

He said the tourism and hospitality industry should make better use of resources and research aimed at understanding how AI can benefit businesses.

BIMSTEC countries as a tourism circuit

Tribhuvan Darbari, meanwhile, highlighted the potential of the BIMSTEC region, such as India, Nepal, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. "All of them have their uniqueness, peculiarities in terms of the value proposition they offer to a tourist."

He further stressed, "The thing is, how to integrate this as a circuit. That's very important for the prosperity of the fraternity of the BIMSTEC.

Darbari also emphasised the importance of training tourism operators to use artificial intelligence effectively. "The question is, AI has become a fashion in a way. The point is, how many of us are really trained well in terms of tourist operators and so on to enhance the value through AI?"

“How to enhance the human touch, what human touch brings, the personal bonding, how this technology usage can be integrated,” Darbari said.

"AI will not replace people"

KB Kachru said concerns about artificial intelligence replacing workers should not overshadow its potential benefits. "AI is primarily a facilitator to get the best out of you."

Speaking about the importance of human interaction in hospitality, he added, "People smile on their faces. How they are received, how they are dealt with will never go anywhere."

Kachru also stressed on the importance of skilling, saying, "There are 8.7 million people in India, mostly youngsters who are neither educating themselves nor skilling themselves or are not ready for jobs. Boss gives orders. Leaders are supposed to listen, learn and work with the people."

According to Kachru, "If we have to take our country ahead, I think we all have to march together."

Experts on digitisation

The panel also discussed how technology can be integrated into tourism without being considered as a threat.

Sinha cited India's DigiYatra system as an example of how digital technology can improve the traveller experience.

He also referred to technology-enabled systems in the UAE, and said, "Rather than talking of AI is coming, we have to be digital,” he said. “We look at it as an experience. We don't look at it as the enemy. It's an experience which has to be utilized.”

The WION Iconic Tourism Summit & Awards 2026, presented by VFS Global in association with Red Hat Communications, brings together voices from government, diplomacy, aviation, hospitality and technology to examine the forces reshaping global travel, including mobility, tourism infrastructure, technology and changing traveller expectations.