Everyone is getting excited at the potential of AI allowing them to work smarter not harder, assisting them with core job functions, writing assignments, and even creating beautiful images from a simple request. But recently, new tools have been launched that claim to plan itineraries to far-flung destinations with just a few clicks. Does this really work, and should I be worried about losing my job?
The Major Players
A quick Google search for "AI Travel Planner" will through up numerous options, with many more sure to follow in the coming months. Some of the early market leaders include Roam Around (powered by ChatGPT), Tripnotes, and TravelPlan (I also tried Roamr, but couldn't get the website to load). In each instance you type in a request, and in a few short moments you are presented with results.
So, How Did They Perform?
Roam Around was instructed to prepare for me a 7 day Japan itinerary, and proposed 7 different cities in 7 days. Logistically it certainly wasn't ideal, and was peppered with links to book tours through Viator. No recommendations were made for accommodation. A similar request was put to Tripnotes, which focused solely on Tokyo. The majority of suggestions were for restaurants, bars & stores, with very little in the way of proposed touring. Additionally, whilst I'm all for throwing my normal schedule out the window when on vacation, I'm not sure that going to a rock club at 11:30am is in my immediate future. Lastly I tried Travelplan which has a limited scope of destinations right now, so I asked for a 3 day itinerary in Tokyo. The suggestions were not too bad. It was essentially the key highlights and not exactly an adventurous proposal, but logistically it all fit together. It's easy to see how useful this tool could become for popular cities in the future.
Will I Be Looking For A New Career?
It would simplistic to look at the results and just assume that travel advisors & tour operators have nothing to worry about. But, we know that this is just the very beginning, and future capabilities of AI & travel is hugely exciting. However, travel is subjective, and it's hard to see how AI can replace the art of a conversation with an expert in a respective destination, who speaks from years of experience and exploration. Right now an AI generated itinerary can act as a good basis from which to research and build upon its suggestions, but in no way should you be boarding a plane and following it to the letter. For those who like to self-plan their journeys, this will become an excellent resource, but for travelers who prefer to rely on someone to plan the minutia of their trip, researching every component, it's hard to see AI assuming full control just yet.
Plan Your Trip With EWT
We're still here, and on hand to plan your next adventure to Asia! Please feel free to submit a trip request or email me, and we'll be happy to design an itinerary for you the old fashioned way, using years of extensive knowledge, research, and practical experience.
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