Today’s AI challenge

The AI conversation has often been framed as a race… for new tools, for higher productivity, for keeping up with what everyone else is doing. Most have already tested plenty of AI tools, run pilots and slowly built AI confidence. But almost nobody has done it together, across teams, organisations, and destinations. And there lies the current AI challenge. How can we move from individual use and isolated experiments towards AI that is connected and integrated?

On 17-18 September 2026, the annual AI Opener bootcamp takes over the Edinburgh Futures Institute to explore exactly that.

30+ destinations. One room.

First and foremost, Botcamp brings experiences and lessons learnt together across destinations, sharing and getting inspiration from each other in figuring it all out. And this September, over 30 European destinations join the ride and bring their bots to the table, from amsterdam&partners and Visit Bruges to Slovenia Tourism and Visit Scotland.

Every organisation arrives with a BYO: a live case from their own work. Vibe-coding a GDPR consent tool. Managing visitor crowds with prediction AI. Building specialist agents for local by-laws. Automating translation. Mapping AI maturity across a whole region of small tourism businesses. All of it makes up one room of practitioners who will get hands-on together.

Two days of dots to connect

Across the two days, Botcamp explores what it looks like to connect the bots in practice – from tools to insights, data, processes and people. For those who want to explore and exciting whirlwind of use cases, hands-on challenges and workshops, big visions, cascading failures (yes, those are a fun part of it too!), and plenty of opportunities to learn from one another, Botcamp is the place to be.

And most importantly, the learning doesn’t happen from the front of the room. Botcamp is designed and hosted by Group NAO together with the Edinburgh Futures Institute, and supported by Miles Partnership, 80 DAYS and Brand USA, but the design philosophy is simple: You, are the experts! It is not about one-sided sit-and-listen lecture, but a shared learning experience between the participating destinations.

After all, connecting the dots is much more effective and fun when done together.

Not with us this year?

The AI Opener programme continues well past 18 September. We will be sharing what we learn from Edinburgh in the weeks that follow, and we're already planning what comes next. Reach out to us to stay in the loop if your destination wants a seat at the next round at nao@groupnao.com