Supporting South Yorkshire’s Visitor Economy with Practical AI Guidance

On 5 February 2026, Digital Dialog delivered an online session on practical uses of Generative AI for business members of South Yorkshire Tourism, the region’s Local Visitor Economy Partnership.

The session was designed to give tourism and hospitality businesses a clearer understanding of how AI is being used today, where it can genuinely support everyday work, and where caution is still needed.

Rather than focusing on tools or trends, the emphasis was on practical decision-making, realistic use cases, and helping businesses make sense of a fast-moving topic without adding pressure or complexity.

Why South Yorkshire Tourism ran the session

AI is now part of daily working life for many people, but adoption across the visitor economy is uneven.

Some businesses are already experimenting regularly, while others are unsure where to start or concerned about investing time in the wrong areas. South Yorkshire Tourism commissioned the session to help business members build confidence, cut through noise, and understand what “good” use of AI looks like in a tourism and hospitality context.

The focus was not on transformation or automation for its own sake, but on clarity and confidence.

How businesses in South Yorkshire are currently using AI

Live polling during the session offered a useful snapshot of where attendees were starting from.

• Most participants use AI tools a few times a week, rather than daily.
• Nearly two thirds rely solely on free versions of AI tools, with a much smaller proportion paying for access through their organisation.
• The majority already use AI beyond marketing, applying it to tasks such as research, planning, data analysis and operational thinking, even if only occasionally.
• When it comes to automation, half of attendees said they are interested but unsure where to begin, with only a small number already automating parts of their work.

This reinforced a consistent theme: curiosity is high, but structure and confidence are still developing.

What businesses are really asking about AI

The questions raised during the session were practical and grounded, not technical.

Common themes included:

• Ethics and sustainability: how to address concerns about environmental impact (energy use, compute and storage) and agree an ethical stance on AI use.
• Creative integrity and jobs: how to respond to worries about AI replacing creative professionals (illustrators, authors, actors, voice actors) and set clear boundaries in a policy.
• Over-reliance and “generic” output: how to stop AI-heavy work from sounding the same as everyone else, and produce output that feels human, credible and distinctive.

Key themes covered in the session

The session focused on practical ways tourism and hospitality businesses can use AI, including:

• using AI as a thinking partner (not just for writing)
• where AI can genuinely save time for smaller teams
• where caution is needed before automating tasks
• the importance of maintaining quality, judgement and a distinct brand voice

Looking ahead

This session forms part of Digital Dialog’s wider work with destination organisations, visitor economy partnerships, and business networks across tourism and hospitality.

While AI tools and capabilities will continue to develop, the underlying challenge remains the same: helping businesses apply them sensibly, confidently, and with clear intent.

Similar sessions are being delivered to other regional and sector-based organisations throughout 2026. If you’d like to develop your own AI skills, our AI in Tourism & Hospitality Course is open to individual professionals.