Public Lecture: When Tech meets Tourism - Can we keep Travel Human?
Te Rā | Date: Thursday 26 March 2026
Te Wā | Time: 5pm-6pm
Te Wāhi | Venue: Holiday Inn Remarkables Park
Speaker: Joshua Ryan-Saha, Edinburgh Futures Institute, University of Edinburgh.
When Tech Meets Tourism. Can we keep Travel Human?
From algorithm-curated itineraries and biometric check-ins to predictive crowd management and immersive digital experiences, emerging technologies are rapidly changing how we discover, book and experience travel. But as our journeys become more seamless, personalised, and efficient, what might we be losing along the way?
In this session, Joshua will draw on his global work to explore the tensions and opportunities at the intersection of technology and tourism. As machines become better at planning ‘perfect trips’, are we at risk of designing out the serendipitous and spontaneous discoveries and the genuine human connections that make tourism great?
Following his talk, Joshua will convene a panel of local voices to discuss how New Zealand's tourism sector is navigating these questions and what choices lie ahead. Will tomorrow's travellers still wander and discover the unexpected? Can we harness technology's power while preserving tourism's capacity to surprise, challenge and change us?
Join us to explore what comes next and get involved in the conversation.
