Paula Port, VP of Global Marketing, speaking at the Skift AI Summit
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to speak at the Skift Data + AI Summit in New York, where leaders from across the global travel sector gathered to dig into one question:
What happens when AI stops being a tool and becomes part of how we run our businesses?
The short answer? A lot.
From airlines and hotel brands to OTAs (online travel agencies) and DMOs (destination marketing organizations), it’s clear that AI is already reshaping how we plan, promote, and deliver travel experiences. But more importantly, it’s changing how we make decisions, build teams, and design for the future.
Here are two strategic shifts that stuck with me and continue to shape how I’m thinking about what’s next for our work at Destination Toronto, and for our industry more broadly
How AI is Transforming Discovery and Personalization
One of the biggest shifts happening right now is in how people discover and engage with travel. The journey no longer begins with a generic Google search. Increasingly, it starts with a conversation - with an AI assistant, a custom GPT, or a voice interface.
If you do one thing this year…refresh your FAQs with real visitor questions, like the ones you’re already answering in DMs or at the front desk.
That shift is already reshaping how we think about content and visibility. Traditional SEO tactics are no longer enough. As AI tools generate summaries, make recommendations, and answer travel planning questions directly, the content they rely on needs to be clear, structured, and useful.
It also needs to feel personal once someone engages.
That’s something we’ve leaned into with 6ix, our AI Assistant that helps visitors plan their time in Toronto. Unlike traditional web content (which is often written to speak to everyone), 6ix responds to individual intent. It answers specific questions and adapts based on what a visitor actually needs in that moment.
Discovery and personalization are deeply connected. And, both demand a shift from static messaging to dynamic, responsive communication.
If you do one thing this year…
Refresh your FAQs with real visitor questions, like the ones you’re already answering in DMs or at the front desk. This not only helps guests directly, it improves how AI tools like 6ix or ChatGPT understand and share your offering. Helpful content makes your business more discoverable, more relevant, and more trusted.
We’re using AI not as a replacement for creativity, but as a way to move faster and think deeper. We use it to support content creation, personalize experiences, and surface insights but always with a human lens.
AI is Not Just a Tech Investment, it’s a Culture Shift
Across the summit, the message was consistent: the real value of AI isn’t speed - it’s insight. AI helps teams see patterns, surface ideas, and make smarter decisions.
But only if people feel confident using it.
At Destination Toronto, we’ve focused on building curiosity and fluency across our team. Not to turn everyone into AI experts, but to ensure everyone feels equipped to experiment, test, and adapt. That mindset of shared learning and curiosity has helped us integrate AI in ways that support our work rather than distract from it.
Brand USA’s Janette Roush speaking at the Skift Data + AI Summit 2025
And this shift extends beyond our own teams. In my panel with Brand USA’s Janette Roush we explored what AI means for destination marketing. What stood out most is that this moment is as much about leadership as it is about technology.
We’re using AI not as a replacement for creativity, but as a way to move faster and think deeper. We use it to support content creation, personalize experiences, and surface insights but always with a human lens. Our role is to reflect the depth and diversity of Toronto, not flatten it.
AI is changing how people find us, how we connect with them, and how we work together to stay relevant.
And we also talked about the mindset shift required to lead this work, especially for women. Many of us, particularly in leadership roles, can feel pressure to be polished, precise, prepared. That pressure can make emerging tools feel risky. Sometimes the barrier is access. More often, it’s permission.
So let me offer mine.
Yes, I used ChatGPT to help shape this article.
I actually enjoy the writing part. But I also believe in using the tools available to structure ideas, make connections I might not have seen, and sharpen how I communicate. It’s not a shortcut; it’s a collaboration. And like any good collaboration, it only works when you bring your own voice, direction, and judgment to the table.
This is the real opportunity for our industry: to model curiosity.
To try, test, share, and lead. Not when it’s perfect, but while it’s still forming.
As Janette Roush put it: “Struggling to find ways to use AI at work? Start by using it for work.”
That’s where fluency begins. That’s where leadership shows up.
These changes aren’t happening all at once, but they’re already shaping the road ahead. AI is changing how people find us, how we connect with them, and how we work together to stay relevant.
