30 | AI Powered Travel Furthermore, a separate study asked travel advisors if they believe AI poses a long-term threat to them . Thirty-two percent say yes, 25% answered no, and 43% weighed in with a maybe . As Shultz explains, “This is an opportunity . You don’t want to be in that maybe category . You want to understand the tools that are out there, and how you can leverage them . “If advisors sit on the sideline, they run the risk of their competitors outpacing them . By learning how AI can fit into their existing workflows, early adopters of AI will have a strategic advantage . Additionally, by leveraging TAKING THE PLUNGE INTO THE AI UNIVERSE what AI can do, it extends their abilities and the breadth of services they can offer . Therefore, if being compared to a non-AI adopted advisor, they will appear to be more nimble, responsive, and accurate .” AI-powered systems are here to stay and must not be underestimated . It is simply a matter of time before AI is engaged at virtually every business, travel agencies included . For those who understand how critical it is to learn about and start testing technology that uses AI now (and not delaying because they are afraid or overwhelmed), Koepf suggests: “Just take one use case and start to use it . Email responses, itinerary descriptions, or marketing copy . Cruise Planners has built AI – we call it Maxx Intelligence – right into those paths so once an advisor starts to use it, they will make it a habit . Shultz recommends: “I normally tell advisors to ‘try’ something simple, just to familiarize themselves with the tools that are out there . And then apply that to a business case in their daily lives . Then, start to expand it into other areas with a very specific goal . For example, being more efficient, writing better, etc .” According to a survey of more than 250 travel advisors recently conducted by Travelage West, despite all the media attention given to AI, the new technology has not yet made a significant impact on the majority of travel advisors’ businesses. The survey found that 84% of advisors polled do not currently use AI in their agencies, and only 7% say their customers have asked them about AI for trip planning. Two-thirds (66%) have not even experimented with any of the AI platforms.