Winning In The Tech Era | 21 “Never...certain pieces will be managed by technology; the human touch will not be replaced  humans yearn for real interaction − they need and desire real people going ahead of them; doing it first and reporting back” – Denise L. Wiggins, global executive advisor/CEO, Denise Wiggins Travel & Wellness Services “Technology will continue to reduce the consumers’ reliance on the advisor, as it has been doing for the past 25 years. I don’t think it will completely replace advisors, as the first-hand guidance and recommendations may always have a place with a certain traveling demographic Additionally, when tech fails or natural/ mechanical issues disrupt the process, a manual back- up will always be necessary” – Azzam Hajyousif, former travel agency owner, and current COO of LeisureBlox “No. People have been predicting the replacement of the travel advisor community for some time. However the change won’t come from technology itself Basically, technology does not ‘care’ Technology has no emotion, and travelers are making a buying decision based partially on emotion Travelers want an opinion from a travel advisor based on personal experience, and feedback the advisor has from other travelers The change, if ever, will come from travelers themselves As long as they see the value in a trusted travel advisor, they will continue to call them Additionally, clients have learned that they do not necessarily save anything by using technology They will spend time focusing on educating themselves on the destination and the travel product, however they appreciate having that validated by a person” – Enrico Saltarelli, ACC, MCC, land & cruise specialist, Cruise Planners ® independent franchise owner Certainly food for thought. With all of this said, every travel advisor is left to his or her own judgment, to determine what role technology will play in their support of clients and their businesses. (continued from page 20)