Introduction
For years, destinations have been producing high-quality local content: stories, recommendations, insider tips, historical context, and cultural knowledge.
At the same time, how people discover places is changing. AI is increasingly becoming an entry point for information, recommendations, and orientation. Travelers rely on systems that aggregate knowledge at scale - often outside the direct influence of destinations.
This shift raises a fundamental question: how can destinations use AI in a way that is safe, controlled, and grounded in their own local knowledge?
With the launch of the Joaia Guide Studio, we’re taking a concrete step toward addressing this challenge.
After more than a year of close collaboration with leading Swiss destinations, the Guide Studio is now live - and available as a service for destinations that want to create their own AI Local Guides.
From generic AI to locally grounded guidance
Most travelers already use AI tools. But generic AI systems are built on aggregated, global data and lack what matters most when exploring a place: local perspective, cultural context, and trustworthy recommendations.
AI Local Guides work differently.
They do not rely on general internet knowledge. Instead, they are based on curated content from the destinations themselves - written, structured, and maintained by the people who know a place best.
This ensures that answers and recommendations are grounded in local expertise, reflect destination priorities, and remain transparent in their origin.
“AI shouldn’t invent a destination. It should represent it. The technology creates access - but the value comes from the local knowledge and the people behind it.”
What is the Joaia Guide Studio?
The Joaia Guide Studio is the technological foundation behind the AI Local Guides now live in destinations such as Zurich, Basel, Lucerne, Chur, Graubünden and the Engadin.
Through the Guide Studio, destinations can:
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create and manage their own AI Local Guides
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structure and maintain local knowledge so it can be used by AI
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define themes, perspectives, and focus areas
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integrate guides directly into their websites, apps, or digital services
The result is not a chatbot, but a digital travel companion that reflects the destination’s own voice, priorities, and local insight.
Built together with destinations - for destinations
The Guide Studio was developed in close collaboration with Zürich Tourismus, Basel Tourismus, Luzern Tourismus, Graubünden Ferien, Chur Tourismus, Graubünden Viva and TESSVM, with support from Innotour.
Throughout the development process, destination teams were actively involved. Their feedback influenced how local knowledge is structured, how recommendations are surfaced, and how destinations remain in control of their content in an AI-driven environment.
This collaboration ensured that the Guide Studio responds to real destination needs and works in practice - not just in theory.
Now that the first AI Local Guides are live and in use, the Joaia Guide Studio is opening up.
As of today, the platform is available as a service for destinations and tourism organizations that want to build their own AI Local Guides on top of curated local knowledge.
Why this matters
AI will increasingly shape how people discover places.
The question is who defines the narrative.
With the Guide Studio, destinations don’t hand their stories to a black box. They:
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retain ownership of their content
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influence what is recommended and how
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ensure that AI reflects local reality rather than generic assumptions
For travelers, this means more meaningful discovery.
For destinations, it means a new way to make local knowledge visible, scalable, and future-proof.
About Holoai
Holoai is a Swiss travel tech startup based in Lucerne. Our vision is to combine local expertise and knowledge with AI - so people can access trusted local insight more easily and discover places in a more meaningful way.
That’s why we developed the Joaia Guide Studio together with destinations and are building it beyond DMOs - for museums, tour operators, and other tourism organizations.
In addition, we developed the Joaia app, which works as a marketplace where Local Guide creators can publish their guides into a shared mobile environment — alongside other Local Guides from different destinations.
