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How Much Does It Cost to Develop an AI and Chatbot for Travel?

  • Writer: Vaibhav Karanwal
    Vaibhav Karanwal
  • 2 days ago
  • 4 min read
AI and chatbot

Travel is people’s first choice. Everybody finds the chance to travel. They want a quick response and 24/7 support. They book planners for better travel experiences. Travel agencies are using AI and chatbot for customer support, booking and recommendations. It sorts customer problems easily and gives better packages to people. These tools help customer queries, help book flights or hotels and give suggestions. For this, you have to know about the cost of an AI chatbot development company.


AI and Chatbots in the Travel 

Travel agencies use AI development services for customer support, faster bookings and suggestions.  


  • Available for customers 24/7

  • Book flights, hotels, or tours

  • AI suggest destinations, hotels, or trip plans

  • Chatbots can give your response in your regional languages

  • Reduce the large customer service team

  • Virtual Travel Agents

  • optimise travel plans based on the weather

  • Instant updates about flight delays

  • Customer Feedback Analysis 

  • Help travellers with visa, passport info, and travel policies


Main Features of AI and Travel Chatbot

The main features of the AI chatbot development company for travel:


  • Booking assistance helps to book flights, hotels and vehicles

  • Live chat support to give answers to FAQs

  • AI suggest solutions according to customer preferences and history

  • Multiple languages supported

  • Give weather and travel updates based on real-time data

  • Integrated payments through a chatbot

  • They take feedback after your trips

  • Chatbot used voice commands


Types of Travel Chatbots

Travel chatbots are of 2 types:


Rule-based chatbot 

  • These chatbots answer predefined questions

  • Cheaper and faster

  • Work with the least smart.


AI-based Chatbot

  • They use ML and NLP

  • Working on complex questions

  • Improved over time


Factors That Affect the Cost

AI in travel affects factors according to type, platforms and design:


1. Type of Chatbot


  • Rule-based bots cost starting from $2,000

  • AI-powered bots cost starting from $8,000+


2. Platform


  • Platform integration with WhatsApp, Messenger, or Slack

  • More platforms with more development time incur higher costs


3. Features


  • FAQs, low-cost bookings

  • AI, voice, payment and personalisation are higher cost


4. Design & User Interface


  • A simple design has less cost

  • Custom UI with graphics, maps, and brand themes cost more


5. Integration with Third-party Services


  • APIs for booking, payments, and flight status


6. Development Team Location


  • India costs $15 to 40/hr

  • Eastern Europe costs $30 to 60/hr

  • USA/UK costs $70 – $150/hr



Breakdown the Cost by Development Stage

The cost breakdown of AI and Chatbot by development stage:


Stage

Explanation

Cost (USD)

Requirement 

Collect requirements, define goals, audience, and use cases.

1K – 5K

UI/UX Design

Designing chatbot interface and user experience.

2K – 7K

NLP 

NLP, AI training, and model tuning.

5K – 20K

Backend Development

Set up servers, databases, and API integration.

4K – 15K

Chatbot

Chatbot logic, conversation flow, and response generation.

3K – 10K

Integration

chatbot integration to the platform's website, app, CRM, etc..

2K – 8K

Testing 

Ensure performance, accuracy and bug fixes.

1K – 5K

Launching

Launching on live servers or third-party platforms.

500 – 2K

Maintenance 

Regular updates, bug fixing and adding features.

1K – 5K/month (ongoing)

Save Money through Travel Chatbot

If you have a smaller budget, you can use these factors:


  • Start a small enterprise with a rule-based chatbot

  • Use ready-made platforms such as Dialogflow, ManyChat, or Tars

  • We can outsource to affordable developers from India

  • They focus on essential features


How is AI used in Travelling?

AI helps in many use cases: 


Use Case

Description

Example

Chatbots 

Provide 24/7 customer support, book tickets and assist in planning.

Expedia, MakeMyTrip

Personalized suggestion

AI suggest hotels, flights, destinations, and activities.

Netflix suggestions on travel apps

Dynamic Pricing

AI adjusts flight and hotel prices in real-time data

Airline ticket pricing engines

Voice Search & Voice Booking

Travellers can use voice assistants to search and book trips.

Google Assistant, Siri, travel bookings

Fraud Detection

AI monitors transactions to detect suspicious or fraudulent activity in travel bookings.

Alerts for unusual payments or identity misuse

Smart Travel Itineraries

AI plans customised day-by-day travel schedules based on interest, budget, and time.

Google Travel, TripHobo

Image Recognition

Identify landmarks from user photos or help with real-time translation of signs.

Google Lens, AR-powered travel apps

Baggage Handling & Tracking

AI systems predict baggage movement and prevent losses.

Smart tags and AI at airports

Sentiment Analysis

Analysing traveller reviews to improve services and experiences.

Hotels/airlines improving services via feedback analysis

Virtual Travel Agents

AI bots that act as full-fledged travel agents.

Hopper, Skyscanner AI travel planners

Which AI Chatbot is Best for Travel Planning?

The real-life examples of AI development services:


1. Skyscanner Chatbot


  • Searches flights, hotels, and car rentals

  • Available on Facebook Messenger and Skype

  • Easy comparison of travel options


2. KAYAK Bot


  • Booking and itinerary management

  • Supports natural language

  • Available on Slack, Alexa, and Messenger


3. MakeMyTrip WhatsApp Bot


  • Support booking and refunds

  • Available on WhatsApp

  • Chatbot named Myra


4. Hopper


  • Predict flight and hotel prices

  • Helps users find the best time to book

  • Offers trip planning and alerts


5. Google Travel Assistant


  • Google integrated a Voice-activated plan

  • Suggests flights, hotels

  • Syncs with Calendar and Gmail


6. Expedia Chatbot


  • Book flights and hotels

  • Provides travel updates and recommendations

  • Available on Facebook Messenger and the website


7. Booking.com Assistant


  • Offer post-booking support

  • Multilingual chatbot

  • Integrated into their mobile app


8. TravelPerk


  • AI-driven planning for corporate travel

  • Manages itineraries and approvals

  • Offers real-time support and policy compliance


9. Mezi (by American Express)


  • Personal travel concierge

  • Handles bookings and preferences through chat

  • Learns from user behaviour for better suggestions


Conclusion

The use of AI and chatbot grows in the travel industry. The price ranges from $2K to $50K or more, depending on requirements. If you have a small travel agency, you can use basic chatbots. If you have a big travel company that invests in AI-based advanced features. It gives your customers smooth and smart experiences. The chatbot can help to save money, improve customer support and grow the industry. AI in travel monitors transactions to detect suspicious or fraudulent activity in travel bookings. It sorts customer support and provides better packages.


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