The interest around the conversational system ChatGPT has exploded since OpenAI launched the GPT-3 prototype at the end of November 2022. Applications of ChatGPT could be disruptive for the digital transformation processes, challenging societies, companies, and people in a possibly unprecedented way. Alongside remarkable performances, there are risks related to its intrinsic limitations. In this viewpoint paper we introduce ChatGPT, highlighting its main characteristics, with the aim of offering some general and preliminary guidelines for its adoption in the tourism field.