Manu Kastia
AI consultant for travel, tourism & hospitality
Helping tourism and hospitality leaders cut through the AI noise and make decisions that actually work.
If you’re leading a travel, tourism or hospitality organisation right now, you’re being bombarded with AI. Every conference has a session on it. Every vendor claims to offer it. Every board meeting includes a question about it.
But when it comes to your organisation, the picture is less clear. Where do you actually start? Which tools are worth the investment? How do you separate genuine opportunity from vendor hype? And how do you move forward without wasting budget on the wrong things?
I help leaders like you answer those questions.
Not through dense strategy documents or generic frameworks, but through practical conversations that lead to clear decisions. Whether that’s a single session to get your thinking straight, an ongoing advisory relationship, or training to bring your team up to speed – I meet you where you are and help you move forward with confidence.
What I do
AI Training & Workshops
Practical, hands-on sessions that demystify AI for your team. I’ve delivered training and workshops for teams across a range of organisations, and I regularly speak at industry events across the UK and Europe. My approach is jargon-free, grounded in real-world applications, and tailored to how tourism and hospitality organisations actually work.
AI Strategy & Advisory
For leaders who need a trusted sounding board on AI decisions. This might be a focused workshop to align your leadership team, ongoing advisory support as you navigate implementation, or help evaluating tools and vendors without the sales pitch. I don’t sell software and I don’t take commissions – my only interest is helping you make decisions that work for your organisation.
AI Resources for Membership Organisations
I work with DMOs, LVEPs, tourism boards, and trade associations to create comprehensive AI guidance for their members. The AI Guide I’ve developed represents over 150 hours of research and is already helping organisations like Marketing Manchester support their stakeholders with practical, accessible AI resources.
Who I work with
I specialise in tourism, travel and hospitality organisations, while also supporting teams in other sectors where the challenges and use cases overlap. That focus means I understand the realities of the visitor economy: seasonality, stakeholder complexity, and the balance between commercial priorities and public interest.
We typically support:
Visitor economy and place-based organisations shaping how AI supports marketing, visitor information and stakeholder communications
Membership-led bodies that want to help members use AI well, without turning into a tech support desk
Hospitality groups introducing AI across operations, marketing and guest experience in a sensible, governed way
Travel businesses that want clarity on where AI will genuinely save time or improve performance, and where it’s just noise
If you’re a tourism, travel or hospitality leader who wants a trusted advisor rather than another sales pitch, we should talk.
My background
I founded Digital Dialog in 2011 to help businesses navigate the evolving digital landscape. Over the years, I’ve worked with prominent clients across tourism and hospitality, from national tourism boards to regional DMOs, from airlines to attractions.
When ChatGPT launched in late 2022, it became clear this wasn’t just another marketing trend. This was a fundamental shift in how businesses would operate. We made a deliberate decision to immerse ourselves in generative AI, not just to use the tools, but to understand them deeply enough to guide others.
Since then, we’ve developed training programmes for major brands, created comprehensive AI resources for membership organisations, and advised clients on practical implementation. We’ve tested the tools, understood the limitations, and learned what actually works in real-world tourism and hospitality contexts.
That combination of deep sector knowledge and genuine AI expertise is rare. Most AI consultants don’t understand tourism. Most tourism consultants don’t really understand AI. I sit at the intersection.
Speaking Engagements
I’m regularly invited to share insights on AI at industry events. Some recent engagements:
AI for Tourism & Hospitality at Better Bankside, London
Keynote Speaker at the British Tourism & Travel Show (2024 & 2025)
Demystifying AI at the Mediterranean Tourism Forum in Malta
Keynote Speaker at the Coach Tourism Association
Speaker at the Experience Oxfordshire’s Partner Events
I offer keynotes, panel participation, online webinars and tailored workshop sessions. If you’re organising an event and want a speaker who can make AI practical and accessible for your audience, get in touch.
How to start
The best way to begin is a short discovery call. No sales pitch, no obligation – just a conversation to understand your situation and see if I can help.
If there’s a fit, we can discuss what support would look like. That might be:
- A focused clarity session to get your thinking straight
- A workshop with your leadership team
- Ongoing advisory support
- Training for your wider team
- An AI Guide for your members
Every organisation is different. Let’s talk about yours.
Common questions
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Do we need an AI strategy, or can we just start using tools?
It depends on your organisation's size and ambitions. Smaller teams can often start experimenting immediately. Larger organisations benefit from a more structured approach to avoid fragmented adoption and wasted investment. I can help you work out which approach makes sense for you.
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We don't have technical staff. Is AI still relevant for us?
Absolutely. Many of today's AI tools require no technical expertise whatsoever. The challenge isn't usually technical capability - it's knowing which tools to use, how to use them effectively, and how to integrate them into existing workflows. That's exactly what I help with.
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How is this different from what the big consultancies offer?
I work with tourism and hospitality organisations exclusively. I'm not applying generic AI frameworks to your sector - I understand the specific challenges of DMOs, the realities of hospitality operations, and the nuances of travel marketing. You also get direct access to me, not a junior consultant learning on your project.
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What if AI isn't actually right for us yet?
Then I'll tell you that. I have no interest in pushing AI adoption where it doesn't make sense. Sometimes the honest answer is "focus on other priorities first" or "wait six months and revisit." You'll always get my genuine assessment.
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Can you help us implement specific AI tools or automations?
Yes. While I typically work at the strategic level, for the right client I'm happy to roll up my sleeves on implementation. Let's discuss what you need.
Let's talk
AI is moving fast, and the tourism and hospitality sector is at a genuine inflection point. The organisations that figure this out thoughtfully will have significant advantages. Those that either ignore it or rush in without a clear approach will struggle.
If you’d like help navigating this, I’d welcome a conversation.