Are you there traveller? It’s me Margaret, Cape Breton’s AI assistant

The fall colours are seen along Cape Breton's Cabot Trail in October 2018. (Darryl Reeves/CTV Atlantic)

Planning a trip to Cape Breton? There’s an app for that.

Destination Cape Breton has launched a new mobile app and AI travel assistant named Margaret to help guide visitors all the way from the planning process to their time on the Island.

The fully integrated digital travel suite features an interactive itinerary planner and AI chat companion that can answer questions and build personalized itineraries in real time based on a visitor’s interests, pace and location in real time.

Destination Cape Breton says the launch is part of a strategy to increase how long visitors stay and how much money they spend on the Island.

“The stakes are significant: an economic assessment of Cape Breton Island’s tourism industry found that adding just one day to the average length of stay would add $125 million annually to the Island’s economy,” reads a news release from Destination Cape Breton.

“Visitors who discover more stay longer, and visitors who stay longer invest more deeply in Island communities.”

Destination Cape Breton is also encouraging residents to make use of the new tool, calling it the “most comprehensive and up-to-date resources Cape Breton Island has ever had.”

“Destination Cape Breton is encouraging residents to become active ambassadors: point a visitor to the app, recommend a hidden trail or let Margaret find the nearest live music. When locals and visitors use the same tools, the connections that define Cape Breton Island happen more often,” reads the release.

The Visit Cape Breton app is a free download in the Apple and Google app stores, and the AI widget and interactive itinerary planner are live on VisitCapeBreton.com.

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