Applying a Large Language Model to Travel

These days, navigating a massive Japanese train station with its multi-level tracks feels less like studying a map and more like following a personal guide. Google Maps provides step-by-step instructions, delivered straight to my wristwatch. A gentle vibration tells me when to turn, making the journey to the exit for my hotel less stressful.

This becomes a game-changer with massive train stations like Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station which has over 200 exits spread over many blocks.

On this trip I had one more technology arrow in my quiver: Google’s Gemini Large Language Model (LLM) AI. Here’s some examples.

Easy Access to a Hike

When traveling solo, as I have been doing for the past three weeks, I tend to be fairly spontaneous in my planning. Sometimes, when I woke up in the morning, I didn’t know for sure where I would be sleeping that night. Whim and weather were sometimes the driving forces.

In the past I would search the Web and review maps and materials I’d assembled prior to travel.

Now, I can also have a dialog with Gemini. I can use follow-up statements to clarify the purpose of my questions or to direct the model to focus better on my needs and style of travel.

For example, when I was in Yokohama, I noticed a peninsula south of Yokohama that seemed fairly rural and might have some good hikes. Here’s the dialog:

Me: What is the name of the peninsula south of Yokohama?
Gemini: The peninsula south of Yokohama is called the Miura Peninsula. It’s a beautiful area with several beaches, historical sites, and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.
Me: Are there good hikes?
Gemini: Yes, there are several good hikes in the Miura Peninsula, ranging from easy strolls to challenging climbs. Here are a few options for you to consider: (Gemini then listed out several hikes with descriptions and photos.)
Me: Which hikes can be reached by train?
Gemini: Of the hikes mentioned previously, these two are reachable by train from Yokohama: (Gemini then listed out the two hikes, complete with transit details.)

Of course I could get that same information by searching the Web, but it would have been a longer process. And, of course, once I had selected a hike, it was my responsibility to verify the details from reliable sources.

Japanese KitKats

I have a running joke with my oncologist about the hundreds of flavors of Japanese KitKats. Last time I visited Japan I brought back a gift box of matcha-flavored KitKats for the care team. This time I wanted to bring a variety of flavors for the team.

I knew that a store called Donki (Don Quijote) generally carries a variety of flavors and that there was a Donki in Tokyo’s Haneda Airport Terminal 3 (the international terminal).

I’d made room in my backpack for the gift boxes by stuffing my daypack with items I might want en route to Minneapolis. My carry-on daypack included a change of clothes and other items I might need if the flight was delayed or cancelled. I would have to check the backpack (something I rarely do), so it would be important that I had purchased the KitKats prior to check-in.

I couldn’t figure out from a map if Donki was airside or landside. It would have to be landside if the KitKat boxes were to be packed in my checked backpack.

I could tell Donki is on the fifth floor. But the Delta Sky Club is also on the fifth floor, and I knew that was airside. So I consulted with Gemini.

Me: At Haneda Airport terminal 3 is Don Quijote airside or landside?
Gemini: Don Quijote is located landside at Haneda Airport Terminal 3. This means it is situated in the area before security checks. (Gemini then supplied a detailed map.)

This information was good enough for me. If it was incorrect, I knew I could just pick up a box of matcha KitKats at a store airside that I’d visited on a previous trip.

But Gemini was correct, I purchased a variety of gift boxes, and checked them with my backpack.

Connecting Travel Data, People, and Cultures

This morning, still jet-lagged, I was lying awake thinking about how concepts of travel and elements of different cultures could be reconciled with concepts of Internet connectivity. There has to be an overarching architectural model.

Specifically, could I apply the constructs of the 7-layer OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model that underpins the architecture of the Internet? Stick with me, this post becomes less technical.

For example, the OSI model provides a technical framework to enable a smartphone to function as a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone, connecting it to landlines and offering real-time translation between languages during calls.

So, how about using the OSI model to connect cultures and points on a journey?

Knowing my thoughts were likely not unique, I searched online but found nothing relevant. Further refining my search terms seemed like a chore, so I decided to bring it to Gemini for a discussion.

Me: Apply the OSI model to travel and tourism.
Gemini: You’re absolutely right! The 7-layer OSI model perfectly applies to the travel and tourism industry, providing a framework for understanding how information flows throughout the entire travel experience. Here’s a breakdown of each layer in the context of travel. (Gemini listed out the seven layers of the model, but it was too focussed on data, it wasn’t quite what I was seeking.)
Me: Now, instead of data packets make it the actual person and their luggage.
Gemini: That’s a creative way to put it! Let’s adjust the OSI model to showcase how the traveler and their luggage move through the travel system: (Gemini listed out the seven layers of the model, with the traveler rather than data moving. That’s what I wanted.)
Me: Now switch to anthropology and elements of culture.
Gemini: Anthropology, the study of humankind across cultures and societies, plays a crucial role in travel and tourism. By understanding the elements of culture, travel professionals can create more enriching and respectful experiences for tourists, while also fostering cultural preservation. Here’s how the elements of culture intertwine with travel and tourism: (Gemini listed out elements of culture and travel, but not in the format I wanted.)
Me: Now represent that in the style of the OSI model.
Gemini: While the traditional OSI model deals with data communication, we can create a similar model to represent the flow of cultural exchange in travel and tourism: (Gemini listed out the seven layers of the model, this time representing abstractions of culture.)
Me: Now produce a table comparing the base OSI model with the OSI model applied to a person and luggage traveling to the OSI model applied to anthropology and elements of culture.

And this is what Gemini delivered:

Layer	Base OSI Model (Movement of Data)	Person and Luggage Travel	Cultural Exchange (Travel and Tourism)
7: Application	User Interface (booking apps, websites)	Interface with travel system (check-in apps)	Tourist experience (events, interactions)
6: Presentation	Data formatting (tickets, confirmations)	Documentation (boarding pass, confirmation)	Cultural interpretation (meaning of symbols)
5: Session	Communication session (booking, chat)	Open communication channel (check-in)	Cultural interaction (conversations, activities)
4: Transport	Data routing (booking data, flight info)	Physical movement (boarding, luggage transport)	Cultural transmission (knowledge sharing)
3: Network	Communication infrastructure (networks)	Airport infrastructure (terminals, boarding areas)	Cultural infrastructure (institutions, communities)
2: Data Link	Data packaging (between systems)	Interaction between travelers and staff	Cultural adaptation (adjusting behavior)
1: Physical	Physical connections (cables, satellites)	Physical movement (walking, luggage transport)	Physical environment (geography, architecture)

It took less than 15 minutes from expressing initial thoughts to arriving at this formatted table. Clearly these ideas require further work, but it’s an interesting start.

The Upshot

With today’s technologies, when I travel, part of my journey is in Cyberspace.