My Commitment as a Travel Agent & Business Owner
It feels like AI is taking over these days, and business after business is using it in some way. You can’t even pop onto social media without a new “AI agent” asking you what you need.
I have my own feelings and values on this, because while I don’t think AI is evil, I DO think it is wildly overused. Did we learn nothing from Age of Ultron? 😂
As a business owner myself, the travel industry has not gone untouched from AI. I am often asked now if I’m scared that I’ll be “replaced” as a travel agent. I’m absolutely not, because you can NEVER replace or replicate human connection.
However, I do find it necessary in this age of AI and wondering what’s real, what can we trust, and how is it being used by real people, to tell give you my values and commitment with AI, so you know exactly what you’re walking into when you choose to work with me.
My Commitment to My Clients in the Age of AI
1. I will not use AI for any research on your vacation.
This is a huge problem write now, with multiple articles out on how people used AI to research/plan their vacations, only to be incredibly let down because the information was so far off base and inaccurate.
As your travel professional, AI has no place in my research. There is a reason I must be certified with every travel partner I work with, attend in person events and experiences, trainings, and other continued education (in addition to traveling myself). When I am researching different portions of your vacation to provide you with the best options and experiences based on YOUR preferences, goals, and travel style, AI has nothing to do with it. I’m utilizing better tools available to me with the most current and accurate information.
2. I absolutely will NEVER use AI to build your itinerary.
This is a hard line for me. You hired me: a living, breathing, human being with critical thinking skills, to provide a professional service for your vacation. There is nothing personal about AI. Every single itinerary I design is different, because every single itinerary is for a different client. Even if it’s the same client, no client takes the exact same trip twice. I am always building and designing based on our conversations and consultations. I am not asking AI to do it for me, I am using my God-given brain, skills I’ve sharpened, and personal and professional experience to create this for you.
3. I will not use AI to write for me.
I know not everyone loves to write or has the gift of writing. I thankfully do, but even so, writing is a skill and AI is killing it. I write in my own voice, with my own thoughts, ideas, and creativity. I want you to know that when we communicate, and anything I post, is the real me.
4. I will not use AI images.
The photos I’m using are either my own, from our agency resource library that a fellow, human agent has taken and allowed for sharing, professional photos available for use by one of my trusted travel partners, or stock image photography from a source like Unsplash if I can’t find what I’m looking for in one of the above places. But asking AI to create and generate over the top images and caricatures and graphics? Absolutely not. There’s too many talented people I could hire for that or learn the skill myself if needed.
5. I will not use AI to create or edit videos.
It is scary that we live in a day and age where videos can look SO real, when they are in fact not. The video clips I post are my own (or at times, from a shared library as mentioned above). Seeing as though many of my videos also include me and my family members, I will not be feeding that to AI which then has access to create things in our likeness-that’s creepy.
When I am sharing my adventures with you, I want you to feel the real life, human experience, so it inspires you to do the same. When you choose to work with and hire me, I want you to understand that you are working with a real, living, breathing, human being with thoughts and feelings and skills, and expect you to treat me as such (and I, you).
When I’m sharing client stories and experiences, I want you to know that these are real people I worked with, real experiences they lived, real memories they made that I, a real person, helped make happen through my travel design services. I actually listened to them, made suggestions that fit exactly what they were looking for, gave them real time support, got on the phone and video chats with them, sent them voice memos that were way too long to explain my decisions around things (I love you clients and IYKYK 😂), checked in on them personally when traveling, asked for their real feedback so I can continue to hone my craft.
If you want to use AI to “plan” a trip for you, go ahead. But you won’t find that here.
If, however, you want real, human connection and support to travel to places you’ve dreamed and have an exceptional time because of it? Welcome, pull up a seat, I’m happy to have you here.
