In recent years, some automated ‘trip planner’ technologists have positioned their software as being so intuitive that it could do the job of the travel advisor. Yet, the high failure rate among these tech startups suggests that these offerings were the equivalent of me going up against Jamie Oliver in a cooking competition.
Sure, I can be inspired by a dish I saw on MasterChef, and I can read a recipe, but what comes out of the oven would look and taste nothing like what Jamie plated (frankly, it’s much more likely that I would have burnt the kitchen to the ground long before I got anything out of the oven).
A recent Phocuswright webinar, “Tripped Up: Why Trip Planning Startups Stumble,” explored the reasons for these B2C failures. Interestingly, many trip planner software companies had to switch from B2C to B2B strategies to survive. Say no more.
Consumer surveys have long confirmed that many travellers enjoy being involved in the design process; they feel greater joy from having a sense of control in this important purchase. However, a recent Accenture report reveals that two-thirds of travel consumers feel overwhelmed by the information overload when it comes to planning and confirming the logistics of their trips.
When it comes to the holidays that travellers save for, plan for, and dream about, they are not only more complex from a logistics and booking perspective, but they are also deeply personal in nature. Holidays like these are not just about the shortest, cheapest route between A and B. Just like the years of training, firsthand knowledge, and passion that Jamie brings to the kitchen, this is where the travel advisor makes the real difference—delivering the holiday the traveller imagined, and not a kitchen fire.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that these technologies are like something out of a sci-fi horror. Quite the opposite, these technologies can play a part in delivering well-qualified travellers into the warm embrace of the travel advisor, much like MasterChef has driven an inspired army of home cooks into restaurants.
More than this, if agents embrace technologies that have been designed for travel agents, they can turbocharge their offering and spend more time designing and selling great holidays instead of administering them.
The latest trend, championed to replace the travel advisor, is artificial intelligence. Big companies like Expedia, TripAdvisor, and even Google are increasingly utilising AI to improve trip planning and booking. But again, I do not see this as a new threat. I see the pairing of the travel advisor and AI tools as a superhuman partnership, a great new opportunity.
Travel agent exclusive technologies like eRoam can do all the heavy lifting for the advisor, from checking availability and pricing to proposal creation, right through to booking the finished itinerary. Imagine bookings that took 2 hours of administrative effort, done in 10 minutes. That gift of time creates a great opportunity for travel advisors to focus on what they do best creating and selling great holidays for their clients.
I believe that it is a mistake to think that you can write code to emulate the critical role that travel advisors still play in the consulting and design of great holidays, just like no AI-powered ‘chef robot’ will ever be able to pull off the planning and execution of a Christmas lunch for 20 guests as effortlessly as Jamie Oliver can.
For my money, it is a sure bet that travel businesses that embrace the new technologies so they can free themselves from managing client proposals and bookings will continue to create happy customers long after Jamie Oliver has written his last cookbook and hung up his spatula.
Paul Hole has 25+ years in the travel industry. He is currently General Manager at eRoam – Travel Agent Friendly Technology.
