K-State Student Wins National Award for AI Travel Concierge That Simplifies Trip Planning

Photo K-State graduate student Raksa Ma/Photo courtesy K-State

Exploring new destinations can be exciting, but planning a trip often comes with stress—from organizing transportation and accommodations to choosing restaurants and attractions, all while staying within budget. Kansas State University student Raksa Ma has developed an innovative solution to simplify that process: an AI Travel Concierge System.

Ma, a master’s student in K-State’s data analytics program and a Rise Up Scholar in the College of Business Administration, earned first place in the “Advance the Future of Customer Experience” category at the Hackathon for Progress competition. His winning project uses retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and IBM watsonx.ai to quickly create customized travel itineraries. It accounts for personal preferences, dietary needs, accessibility requirements, and budget.

Developed independently as Team Lynx, Ma built the entire application—from concept to deployment—himself. The project was recognized during the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit at the University of Oxford.

The AI Travel Concierge System is just one of Ma’s innovations. He’s currently working on a project that uses AI to convert academic content into accessible formats for students with disabilities. He credits K-State’s hands-on curriculum with helping him gain the skills needed for real-world impact.

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