Photo Credit: Bob Burke
Bob Burke is travel advisor and industry speaker from Antioch, Ill. He is also author of the book "Blueprint to Becoming a Six-Figure Travel Advisor: The Ultimate Guide."
It has been asserted that AI will render travel advisors unnecessary and obsolete.
But let's begin by remembering that assertions are not proof.
In reality, the emotional bond that consumers develop with professionals, from doctors to lawyers to accountants to travel advisors, helps protect professionals. Clients will not easily abandon a positive relationship, especially if the alternative is an AI-enabled software program.
When IBM used an AI-enabled Watson computer to beat "Jeopardy" champion Ken Jennings more than a dozen years ago, the public became curious about AI and its potential. Today, AI is being widely and deeply explored, but it really requires training and experience, both for you and AI-programs, to be truly useful. Recall that it took five years for the population to migrate from cellphones to smart phones (and far longer than that, in most cases, to truly benefit from the World Wide Web).
That said, major suppliers are already deploying AI. Booking.com, Delta and Royal Caribbean are examples, and advisors will benefit by visiting the sites of early adopters and seeing how they become more efficient partners. Study the Booking.com website and you'll see how an AI-enabled chatbot provides immediate two-way communication to address customer questions.
Advisors are currently using AI to prepare itineraries and to simplify and speed research on behalf of their clients. Chatbots are the next logical step. It is possible to create a chatbot yourself, although working with a professional is recommended. Another easy-to-implement option is WIX, which can add appropriate pictures to your website.
Amazon is bringing AI to Alexa (Amazon Echo). This innovation alone may provide advisors with a convenient personal assistant, one who requires no salary.
If you're not yet familiar with AI's potential to help your business, get a book such as "AI for Everyone" by Brendan C (self-published, 2013).
Although there's currently a strong focus on AI, don't neglect other existing technology, which can be extremely valuable. Spend an hour looking at Google Analytics, which can show you where visitors to your site are located. That's good intelligence to help better target your marketing efforts.
It is axiomatic that creating a loyal clientele is the goal of every successful travel advisor. Retain that focus as you explore AI and discover new ways to find, and better serve, your clients.