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I have written recently about several issues that are currently challenging the travel and tourism industries worldwide, and much has been written about AI and how it is changing many industries for better or for worse, but is undoubtedly here to stay. It seems to me as I look at the global picture right now that our outbound travellers from South Africa are potentially facing more and more uncertainties and issues that can affect their travel schedules and potentially leave them stranded somewhere, but I am not convinced that the emergence of AI will be of much use to them in a crisis situation or that they would rather be dealing with a bot than a real human being – hence it begs the question – ‘’Amidst global travel uncertainty – will AI have you back?’’ I think not, and I believe this only strengthens my argument that no form of technology will ever replace a good travel professional with emotional intelligence and a heart. But let’s look a little more closely at the kind of issues we are facing and why we will always need TMCs.
Trump, global warming and national disasters
I think in my last couple of articles I have said enough about the kind of uncertainty that the American president is initiating, and since I last wrote he has rescinded many of his threats and so we are facing possibly even more uncertainty than before. I can only say that I rest my case about not making rash decisions based on what we think Trump will do next. Unfortunately most airline ticket prices are based on the US Dollar and so they can fluctuate on a daily basis. This is one area where Travel professionals can be invaluable as they can predict these changes and make informed decisions to convey to corporate travel partners. AI can be fantastic as a research engine for finding information but it doesn’t validate that the information is necessarily correct as it can’t distinguish right from wrong information. Travel Agents are trained to look for changes as they happen and accordingly keep clients in the picture.
Unfortunately, this kind of economic uncertainty and the constant changing of prices is not the only issue that outbound SA travellers face either. Just the other day on the 23rd of April a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 shook Istanbul at 12:49 (09:49 GMT). According to Aljazeera ‘’the epicentre of the quake was located in Silivri, 80km (50 miles) west of Istanbul, and the Istanbul Governor Davut Gul said at least 151 people were injured due to panic during the earthquake and jumping from heights to escape.’’ Now, passengers booked to this area or having landed in this area to continue onto other destinations would have been facing either the immediate arrangement of alternate flights or possibly assistance when on the ground in Istanbul. In a situation like this, would you rather have been dealing with a real live Travel Professional that you knew would understand the kind of stress that people can experience in such a situation (and this is just one example of many issues that happen during global travel almost every day) – or talking to a bot that would have no inkling of how to direct you?
Emotional intelligence cannot be replaced
The real point I want to make is that it is not simply about whether AI is capable of adapting to and dealing with a crisis situation, it is more to do with how the person on the other end of the line is assisting you to cope with what can be an extremely stressful situation. I am a fan of technology, how it has streamlined systems for TMCs and the way it has made travel easier for the public in general, but there is no substitute for the empathy, genuine concern and motivation to act as quickly as possible on behalf of someone in crisis as a professional with emotional intelligence, heart and knowledge gained from dealing with such situations over many years. What we value most is what we can trust – and trust is derived through human interactions and relationships built over many years. So, amidst global uncertainty will AI have your back? Very likely, not, but your Travel Agent will!
LIDIA FOLLI
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
