24/7 AI Travel Assistant for High-Volume Passenger Support
Croatia’s largest ferry operator deployed Own.Assistant to handle high-volume passenger queries during peak summer season – across every route, in every language, around the clock.
Live on jadrolinija.hr since May 2026
Early Results · First 5 Weeks
- 11.848 Passenger conversations
- 32.700+ Messages handled
- 98.6% Answer rate
- +123% Growth June vs May
Barba AI: A New Kind of Passenger Service
For the first time, Jadrolinija passengers have access to a digital support channel that’s available around the clock, responds in any language, and is connected to live timetable and pricing data — right when millions of travellers need it most.
Croatia’s national ferry operator — and one of Europe’s largest
With a fleet of 58 ships, connecting the country’s mainland and islands through a network of 37 domestic and 4 international routes.
The Challenge
Volume
Every year, the company transports more than 12.6 million passengers and 3.8 million vehicles, operating up to 600 sailings per day during peak summer season — generating an enormous volume of inquiries covering timetables, fares, routes, reservations, island connections and travel policies.
Multilingual demand
International tourists ask in multiple languages — and expect a timely, accurate answer.
No digital support channel
During the busiest months, customer support teams handle thousands of repetitive inquiries facing significant pressure. Around 60% can be answered using information already on the website — the challenge wasn't the lack of information, it was making it instantly accessible. No scalable digital support channel existed before Barba AI.
The Solution
AI assistant trained on Jadrolinija's live data: timetables, ticket pricing, routes, travel rules, and destination info.
Deployed directly on jadrolinija.hr — available 24/7 with no queue, no wait time.
Responds automatically in the passenger's language — Croatian, English, German, Italian, and more.
Handles real-time queries: "When is the next ferry to Hvar?", "Can I bring my car?", "How do I change my ticket?"
Peak season ready — handles the 8 AM – 1 PM morning rush without queues. Scales to any volume without adding staff.
AI Travel Assistant Built on Own.Assistant Platform
Barba AI is a travel assistant deployed directly on jadrolinija.hr, built on Own.Assistant — connected to Jadrolinija’s live data: timetables, pricing, routes, and travel rules. Every answer is grounded in real, current information.
Trained on live Jadrolinija data
Connected to timetables, pricing, routes and rules. Answers are always current — not cached or static.
Automatic multilingual responses
Detects the passenger's language and responds accordingly — Croatian, English, German, Italian, Czech and more. No manual routing required.
Available 24/7 with no queue
Passengers get instant answers on jadrolinija.hr at any hour — including the 8 AM – 1 PM morning peak when planning volume is highest.
Built to expand
Next phase includes WhatsApp and additional channels. The assistant learns from every interaction and improves over time.
“Our primary goal was to make Jadrolinija’s services more accessible through a simple, intuitive and conversational experience. With Croatia’s highly indented coastline and an extensive network of ferry routes, navigating timetables, fares and travel information can often feel overwhelming, particularly for first-time visitors. Every summer, our customer support teams handle thousands of inquiries, although around 60% of them can be answered using information already available on our website. Barba AI bridges that gap by providing passengers with instant, 24/7 assistance, making travel planning easier while significantly reducing the workload on our customer support teams.”
JadrolinijaCommunications Team
delivers measurable results quickly and efficiently:
Schedules, prices, tickets, bookings, availability — if your team answers the same questions at scale, Own.Assistant is built for you. Every implementation is configured to your data, your rules, and your brand.
Ferry & Maritime
Routes, timetables, vehicle transport, island connections
Bus & Coach
Schedules, stops, bookings, real-time updates
Airlines
Flight info, check-in, baggage, travel policies
Rail Operators
Timetables, connections, platform changes, passes
Ticketing Platforms
Availability, pricing, booking flows, cancellations
Tourism & Hospitality
Destination info, reservations, local guidance