Overview
Visit Tampa Bay partnered with Granicus (Simpleview) and Satisfi Labs to create a unified digital experience for visitors and locals alike. The integration of the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot and customer relationship management (CRM) system enabled Visit Tampa Bay to become a trusted source of truth while improving operational efficiency and marketing precision. The team strategically trains and utilizes the agent to enhance visitor engagement, streamline content delivery, and ensure accurate, on-brand information across partners and platforms.
Must-have Granicus solutions
CRM + Satisfi Labs Integration
Metrics
6,500+ questions asked via the AI agent
45% of conversations occurred outside normal business hours
1,000+ partners supported through seamless content integration
With all credit to [Granicus] — they are the only technology provider we have been using since I started my role 11 years ago. We are a very forward-looking DMO that is very cognizant of how the community needs our economic support and that's what we're here to do. So, while we sell joy, it’s very much with a strategy and a mission behind it.”
Situation | Staying one step ahead
Visit Tampa Bay faced several challenges in its mission to digitally serve both visitors and locals. Previous attempts to implement chat technology had failed due to unreliable vendors who overpromised and underdelivered, all while on a lengthy implementation timeline.
“We're all trying to stay one step ahead and always trying to provide the best information we can," said Patrick Harrison, chief marketing officer for Visit Tampa Bay. “We were really looking for somebody who we could trust and who had the experience to get the [AI agent] in place in a timely and clever way.”
Additionally, the region’s complex tourism landscape — marked by overlapping destinations and event-heavy seasons — required a solution that could intelligently filter and present relevant content. To reach more mobile-first users, as well as those searching online after business hours, Visit Tampa Bay needed to provide seamless support without relying on outdated call center models.
The overarching goal was to unify tourism, sports, and entertainment under one digital experience, creating a trusted and accessible source of truth for all users. “The whole point really was to find a way that visitors and locals could seamlessly access what was going on — whether it's an attraction, sports event, where to eat, where to go, or what to do — and make sure we could track interactions and see that information,” said Harrison.
Solution | A travel tech track record
Visit Tampa Bay leaned on the CRM integration that Satisfi Labs has with Granicus to implement a robust AI-powered chat experience on its website. “[Granicus] has a track record. Satisfi Labs has a track record. We knew that they could do the job,” said Harrison.
The AI agent was collaboratively trained by the DMO and Satisfi Labs to handle sensitive queries and redirect users to vetted content, ensuring all responses aligned with Visit Tampa Bay’s values and messaging. Through the CRM integration, the agent can surface real-time content from the website, track user behavior, and feed insights directly into marketing and stakeholder outreach strategies, allowing the team to:
- Segment audiences to make data-driven marketing strategies.
- Refine web content to keep the most relevant topics fresh and forward.
- Share actionable data with more than 1,000 partners.
Visit Tampa Bay’s “Connected City” initiative took the experience a step further by linking its AI agent with other local attraction agents — including Zoo Tampa and the Tampa Bay Rays. Through Satisfi Labs’ chat-in-chat capability, the DMO’s agent can seamlessly hand off questions to each partner’s own AI agent, ensuring visitors get direct, accurate answers from the original source rather than duplicated content. This connected network creates a more efficient, scalable system that delivers the right information to the right visitor while reducing content management work for DMO staff.
Results | Reaching travelers after hours
Visit Tampa Bay has reported seeing more than 6,500 questions come through the Satisfi Lab chat experience since implementation, noting that 45% of those conversations happened outside of normal business hours. Harrison emphasized that nearly half of the inquiries would not have been answered otherwise since the DMO does not offer phone support after hours.
Other brag-worthy results include:
- Enhanced visitor experience: Visitors received instant, accurate answers, reducing frustration and improving satisfaction.
- Operational efficiency: There is no need for after-hours staffing or call centers, and the AI agent handles many communications that would otherwise be diverted to DMO staff.
- Marketing optimization: Insights from chat queries feed directly into the CRM, allowing for targeted campaigns. The information gained from the interactions helps partners better prepare for any influx of visitation, creating a more seamless experience for travelers.
- Content scalability: Seamless handoffs to partner agents reduced the need to manage content and has the potential to drive additional engagement to more than 1,000 partners.
- Community trust: The AI agent became a tailored source of truth, helping combat misinformation and reinforce brand integrity.
When asked what advice he would give to other DMOs considering implementing the CRM and Satisfi Labs integration, Harrison said:
Don’t wait — do it now. We should have done it two years ago. Just the fact that 45% of calls are outside of business hours — think of the money you’re losing by not being able to answer those questions.”
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