Why AI Can't Replace Human Hospitality | AI Hospitality Technology | THINC Indonesia | Abhay Khanna
In this exclusive interview at THINC Indonesia, Travel And Tour World sits down with Abhay Khanna, Commercial Head of RateGain, a travel technology company providing AI-native technology within the hospitality vertical, covering intelligence, distribution, and performance marketing. Key highlights from the interview: 1. Mr. Abhay explains how hospitality tech splits into two buckets, back of house (PMS, POS, finance, housekeeping systems) and front of house and notes RateGain is integrated with the largest PMS company in the world. 2. On tech adoption, he focuses on Indonesia specifically, noting Indonesian hoteliers are forward-thinking about the type of technology needed, with an industry-wide focus on travel experience. 3. He positions technology as an engine that generates more revenue and retention, a view he says resonates with RateGain's partners in the region. 4. On AI in guest messaging feeling robotic, he says it's the tech provider's responsibility to ensure AI engagement feels accurate, real, and authentic, citing their AI agent, Viva, as an example. 5. On whether AI will replace human roles, he pushes back directly, saying the industry is overstating what AI will do, since hospitality is about an emotion realized when checking into a hotel, something a robot can't replicate. 6. He adds that hospitality professionals should still get comfortable with AI, since it can sharpen service delivery and free up time from tasks that pull staff away from guests. 7. His closing analogy: think of AI as a "friend" doing the behind-the-scenes work while staff focus on actually engaging with the customer, the true essence of hospitality. About Travel And Tour World: Travel And Tour World is a global travel media platform covering travel, tourism, hospitality, aviation, MICE, cruise, and luxury travel, with readership across 195 countries. [ RateGain, AI in hospitality, Hotel technology, Abhay RateGain, AI hotel guest experience, Hospitality PMS, RateGain AI native hospitality technology, AI will not replace hospitality hotel emotion, AI hotel guest messaging automation, hotel PMS distribution intelligence performance marketing, will AI replace human hospitality jobs, AI adoption Indonesian hoteliers, travel technology company hospitality interview, RateGain travel technology, RateGain AI agent Viva, RateGain hospitality distribution, AI in hospitality industry 2026, AI hotel automation trends, future of AI in travel technology, THINC Indonesia] #RateGain #AIinHospitality #THINCIndonesia #HotelTechnology #TravelTechnology #AIHotelExperience #HospitalityInnovation #TravelAndTourWorld #FutureOfHospitality #AIAdoption