Press release: #DigitalNextSteps: GNTB launches innovative AI influencer for Destination Germany

Frankfurt am Main, 17 October 2024 – The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) launches its inaugural AI influencer project, utilising artificial intelligence to promote Germany as a travel destination on an international scale. With the launch of ‘Emma’ – an AI-generated influencer – the GNTB has created an innovative, interactive brand ambassador who virtually inspires potential travellers 24/7 for real holiday experiences and personal encounters in Germany. The long-term vision for Emma is to establish her as a central, indispensable component of the GNTB's digital communication strategy.

Petra Hedorfer, CEO of the GNTB, states: ‘With the launch of Emma as an AI influencer, we are taking a further step in our digital strategy. Artificial intelligence applications are an invaluable asset, providing supplementary technological support for our brand communication. Along the customer journey, Emma can act as an innovative bridge builder between potential travellers and real, unforgettable experiences in Germany as early as the inspiration phase. Emma will operate in conjunction with our established influencer marketing structures. By working with ‘traditional’ influencers, we were able to generate 148 million impressions on their social media channels last year. The GNTB's AI strategy uses technological innovations which, however, cannot replace personal experiences and encounters in Germany as a travel destination, but rather optimise the customer journey of travellers in a service-oriented way.’

The AI influencer project was developed by the GNTB in collaboration with the agency Startup Creator using the latest cutting-edge technology.

Emma’s persona is a modern, cosmopolitan Berlin resident that feels at home in the digital world. In her mid-30s and with an affinity for technology and travel, she combines her love of new technologies with her passion for travelling through Germany. On her Instagram channel @EmmaTravelsGermany, Emma inspires her followers to travel to Germany, accompanies them on their travels and shares her experiences in an entertaining and informative way. In the long term, Emma will not only provide information, but also act as a personal travel companion and create personalised routes tailored to users' individual interests.

The technical background: Emma is a fully AI-generated ‘digital human’. Thanks to advanced deep learning algorithms and large language models (LLMs), she is able to engage with her followers in a chat format in over 20 languages. By the end of the year, the AI assistant will also be able to access not only the information on germany.travel but also real-time data from the GNTB Knowledge Graph.

Background: Growing importance of AI in the GNTB's work
With ‘Emma’, the GNTB is opening a new chapter in the use of artificial intelligence. AI is already used in many areas of the GNTB's work: in collaboration with the international travel industry, in customer communications and in marketing.

Global online travel agencies are increasingly leveraging AI to analyse and market tourism products worldwide. The GNTB is supporting this trend with its Open Data project: more than half a million machine-readable datasets on tourist attractions, tours and events, as well as infrastructure data, are already available in the GNTB Knowledge Graph. This data improves the visibility of Germany's tourism offerings on international online platforms.

When addressing end consumers, AI enables more precise customer understanding and the presentation of tailored offers. For instance, an AI-supported chatbot has been answering customer enquiries on the GNTB website continuously since 2020. Furthermore, the GNTB has been utilising AI to inspire end customers in the field of immersive technologies, including virtual reality, augmented reality and smart speaker applications for a longer period of time now.

AI applications are already integrated into the GNTB's day-to-day operations. There are numerous ways in which they can be used, particularly in the context of marketing. Therefore, the GNTB utilises AI applications in the development and implementation of digital marketing tools, including the creation of assets such as images and videos, the generation of text, translation services, and graphic design. The GNTB ensures that opportunities arising from AI applications are handled responsibly through transparent communication.

Curious? Get to know Emma in a short video: