Agoda boosts traveller confidence with AI-driven image upgrade

Agoda has implemented a new Content Enhancement Tool that uses Machine Learning and AI to improve the quality of images on its travel platform.

The tool is designed to provide travellers with clearer, higher-quality images when searching for hotels and holiday properties, with an aim to give prospective guests a more accurate representation of where they might stay. The update affects the presentation of images across a range of listings, from boutique city hotels to beachfront villas, and is intended to help customers make more confident booking decisions.

Image clarity

Agoda hosts over 6 million accommodation options on its platform, supported by more than 450 million property images. With such a large quantity of visual content, the challenge has been to ensure both the relevance and quality of the images presented to users.

The Content Enhancement Tool leverages Machine Learning and AI to process these images automatically. The technology is able to identify lower-resolution photos, enhance their clarity, remove duplicates, improve image tagging, and rank images based on relevance and sharpness. This process is conducted with a focus on maintaining the authenticity of each photo, so that properties are accurately represented to potential guests.

Idan Zalzberg, Chief Technology Officer at Agoda, highlighted the motivation behind the development and deployment of the new tool. Zalzberg emphasised the importance of imagery in fostering confidence among users making travel bookings.

"A good picture can say more than a thousand words. Photos are essential to building trust when booking travel. With millions of images from different sources, we built a smart tool to classify, rank, and deliver the most relevant visuals, fast and at scale. This gives travelers a clearer, more informative, and true-to-life view of where they might stay, helping them book with confidence."

Early results

Since the introduction of the Content Enhancement Tool, Agoda has observed several trends among travellers interacting with upgraded listings. According to Agoda, users are now spending more time browsing accommodation galleries, viewing more photos, and are more likely to investigate room details after seeing clearer images. These patterns suggest that visual content plays a significant role in how travellers engage with booking platforms.

Zalzberg added, "This is about giving users additional confidence. When you know what to expect, you book with more peace of mind and less hesitation." The enhanced visuals are positioned as a means not only to inform users but also to reduce uncertainty and hesitation during the booking process.

Wider offerings

Alongside enhancing property images, Agoda continues to offer a broad array of travel options through its online platform. This includes access to over 6 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and 300,000 activities. The platform's goal is to present comprehensive travel solutions while improving user confidence through better information and visuals. Users can access these services through Agoda's website or mobile application.

The company remains headquartered in Singapore and operates in numerous markets globally, with ongoing efforts to refine its digital offering through new technologies such as the Content Enhancement Tool. The platform supports its users in multiple languages and maintains a focus on both usability and accuracy in its listings.