1. The challenge

Since 2020, Regensburg Tourismus GmbH (RTG) has relied on traditional chatbots to relieve the tourist information and provide 24/7 service. However, the models followed a rigid question-answer scheme: Each question variant had to be manually created, and unknown inquiries remained unanswered. "The problem with the previous models was that we had to maintain the knowledge database ourselves," says Carolyn Molski, who is responsible for marketing, DACH, as well as digitalization and AI at RTG. The planned relief became a second content maintenance beside the website – in addition to growing expectations for language diversity, accessibility, and strict data protection and IT security requirements of a municipal GmbH.

2. How the AI works

The basis is a simple principle: The website itself is the knowledge database. Guests ask their questions via the chat bubble, the hybrid search bar on tourismus.regensburg.de, or by phone outside office hours. The AI automatically detects the language, searches 33 curated sources – from its own website to external information such as parking possibilities – and provides a researched answer. Through a Regiondo integration, suitable city tours, tickets, events, and weather information appear directly as bookable cards in the chat. Concerns that the AI cannot fully handle over the phone are summarized for the team to address specifically the next morning. "All information that the chat or the search on the website outputs is researched, is correct," says Molski.

Simplified process flow:

Guest inquiry via chat, search, or phone → AI searches curated knowledge base and automatically recognizes language → Output of a researched answer including booking and ticket options → For unresolved phone queries: Summary to the RTG team for personal follow-up

3. Implementation and responsibility

The RTG has been a customer of branchly for over three years and was among the first destinations in the German market with a generative AI chat. The introduction has been gradual since October 1, 2023: first the chat, then the search bar, the telephony integration, the Regiondo integration, and currently a digital guest map. As all answers come solely from verified, curated sources, the content quality is assured from the start. Open or more complex phone inquiries are still handled by the team, which calls back specifically – the AI independently answers standard inquiries within the approved knowledge base, while special cases remain under human responsibility.

4. Results and experiences

In the past 12 months, 94.6% of inquiries were fully answered, and in the last 30 days, 7.2% of website visitors used the AI interfaces. More than 10 languages were recognized in the chat, 93% of inquiries in German, 7% international. Clicks led to 5,022 event tickets and 2,765 bookings in the accommodation portal. Around 200 phone calls per month are fully conducted by the AI. "At the end of the day, I am satisfied as a DMO because I had no additional workload," says Molski. The shared data across all channels saves RTG double maintenance effort; the introduction of plain language in the chat was awarded the ADAC Tourism Prize Bavaria in 2025.

5. Transferability and first step

The approach is suitable for destinations, municipalities, and public organizations with limited budgets, high data protection requirements, and multilingual traffic. The prerequisite is a well-maintained, reliable website as a knowledge base. A sensible first pilot is an AI chat based on existing website content, supplemented by a hybrid search bar before gradually integrating other channels such as telephony or booking integrations.