Business travel firm FCM bets on AI to boost efficiency as Chinese work trips rebound

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FCM Travel Greater China plans to invest in AI and give staff the skills they need as China’s outbound travel market enjoys a resurgence

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AI can help companies work more efficiently, cutting down on time which can be put towards tasks such as offering better quality customer experiences, says Xie. Photo: Shutterstock

Mia Castagnonein Shanghai

Published: 11:46am, 30 Jun 2024

FCM Travel Greater China, a business-travel management company, plans to invest in its artificial intelligence capabilities and give its staff the skills they need to get the most out of the technology as China’s outbound travel market enjoys a resurgence.

The drive to adopt and integrate AI into its operations began recently with the opening of the company’s new “AI centre of excellence” in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

The city was the ideal destination thanks to its large pool of talent, proximity to Hong Kong and its position in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), according to Calvin Xie, the general manager of FCM Travel Greater China.

Artificial intelligence is a means of allowing companies to work more efficiently, cutting down on time which can be put towards “high value” tasks such as offering better quality customer experiences, he said.

It is not as simple as “just doubling the number of employees,” said Xie.

‘We want a lean operation, we don’t want to end up with a large army,’ says Calvin Xie, general manager of FCM Travel Greater China. Photo: SCMP Handout

“We want a lean operation,” he added. “We don’t want to end up with a large army. It’s more about how we will transform our workforce to get [employees] equipped with the skills they need for the next decade.”