Winning In The Tech Era | 23 Technology has transformed the entire landscape of travel around the world, for travelers, travel advisors, and travel suppliers alike For seasoned travel advisors who have been serving their clients diligently for decades, or for any advisor who hesitates to adopt the new tech, it is important to accept that there is no turning back to the ‘good old days,’ the legacy ways of conducting business And actually, why would any advisor want to return to those more costly and inefficient systems? Today, advancements in travel tech have ushered in new opportunities for growth and greater client satisfaction Travel tech has automated and improved the entire travel process – prospecting, marketing, trip-planning, booking, inventory, payment, and back-office systems The purposes of implementing the latest technologies are to create a more seamless travel experience for consumers, and to increase bookings and revenues for travel advisors The types of travel technology that were discussed in this white paper offer many benefits to travel advisors, including: expanded lead generation, greater accessibility to travel information, personalization of travel products and services, increased speed and ease of processing, enhanced client communications, streamlined operations, and improved efficiencies The result? A stronger and more competitive position in the marketplace leading to greater profitability In order to thrive in modern times, each travel advisor must evaluate and decide upon which tech tools to integrate into their daily workflow to enhance their business processes and client relationships But one thing is certain, those who delay will be outperformed by competitors who do embrace technology “Travel technology follows general technology trends Considering the pace of technological change – ChatGPT had broad acceptance in about a month after release, which is more rapid than any emerging tech – travel counselors need to be vigilant on new techniques For example, tools to read emails and create suggested itineraries are available today,” Rose conveys “We are no longer in a ‘wait-and-see’ mode of technology changes Those that wait by the sidelines may risk being replaced, not necessarily by AI itself, but by another agent who harnesses AI to provide better service to their customers” Perhaps the most important thing for travel advisors to know about using travel technology to maximize their business performance is “to not be afraid of technology,” says Shultz “To understand that each tool and each feature is there to make their jobs easier and to help them sell more Sometimes, I find that certain advisors are resistant to learning new technology because they themselves wouldn’t see the benefit To me, that’s a mistake because they do not know what the next customer they meet will need or want By embracing technology and by understanding the changing travel landscape, they are far better equipped to handle various customers’ needs, and to do so in an efficient manner Ultimately, travel advisors are in this to make a living To make the most money possible, they either need to sell higher-priced products, service as many customers as possible, and, in most cases, do both Technology can make all the difference in doing just that” The urgency of the impact of technology on travelers and travel advisors is compounding quickly Now is the time to leverage emerging travel tech to transform the travel experience for clients and bolster business efficiencies for advisors Now is the time for travel advisors to take action CONCLUSION: TAKING ACTION NOW IS CRITICAL