b'Digital customer support has seen improvement, of course.systems while unlocking the next level of personalization, Traditional,rule-basedchatbotsoffer24/7availabilityproactivity, and efficiency. and are basically only limited by the programmers imag-inationmeaning they are inherently rigid, only workingTHE PASSENGER IMPERATIVEwhen the customers question exactly matches a pre-fedInsights from Global Travel Trendsscript. Furthermore, the first wave of large language mod- To understand the direction of this next-generation devel-el(LLM)-poweredchatbotsdemonstratedthepotentialopment, it is vital to listen to the traveler. While a compre-for natural conversation but often fell short on reliability.hensive global ferry-specific passenger survey is missing, These systems are prone to drift or hallucinate, generatingthe insights from the IATA Global Passenger Survey in the plausible sounding but factually unreliable responses. Theaviation sector, alongside findings from the EUs survey infamouscaseofamajorairlinebeingheldliableforaon multimodal digital mobility services, provide a back-chatbots incorrect discount advice underscores the criticalground which the passenger vessel industry can also relate need for an AI system that is both intelligent andthroughto. As both sectors deal with mass passenger management targeted control and limitationaccountable. and complex booking data, the core priorities translate ef-fectively: the modern traveler demands speed, convenience, What the industry needs is a new tier of serviceone thatand seamless, connected journeys.honors the investment already made in robust reservation The IATA survey highlights that 53 percent of travelers prefer to book directly with the operators own website orapplication.Thisisnotaboutsavingmoney;itis about a desire for direct engagement and a single, reli-able source of information. A robust, all-in-one digital platform builds loyalty and encourages repeat business. Customers have understood that online travel agencies and distribution channels mostly just add one extra layer of confusion, especially when it comes to customer ser-vice requests.Passengersareincreasinglywillingtocompleteadmin-istrative processes before arriving at the terminal to save timeandreducestress.Thisextendsfromcheck-into even more complex procedures. Travelers want to arrive at the port and board quickly. This goes hand in hand with the passengers desire to have all their travel information in one place. The idea of a digital wallet, accessible on a smartphone and containing tickets, booking details, and loyalty points, is no longer a luxury but an expectation, particularly among younger passengers interested in a fully digitized experience.TheEurobarometersurveyunderscoresacriticalpain point with unleveraged potential especially for the ferry industry: A large proportion of respondents in this study conducted in Europe find it difficult to book journeys thatcombinedifferenttransportmodes(e.g.,ferry-to-rail,train-to-bus),orevenjourneyswithdifferentop-erators within a single mode. This difficulty is a major barrier to seamless travel and represents a huge, untapped 39 NOVEMBER 2025'