People often ask whether AI will replace travel advisors. My rather professional answer

usually surprises them:

Eh, naw. While some see AI as an inevitable replacement for human expertise and others dismiss it as just another trend, my experience working through multiple waves of technological change has taught me that the reality is usually somewhere in between.

Before entering the travel and events industry, I spent years working in educational technology, cybersecurity, and transportation technology.

Throughout that journey, I watched digital tools automate processes that once required significant human effort. Each technological advancement created uncertainty, but the professionals who ultimately thrived weren’t the ones who resisted change. They were the ones who learned how to leverage technology while continuing to provide uniquely human value.

I believe the same thing is happening in travel. Artificial intelligence is becoming remarkably capable of handling many aspects of travel planning, from generating itineraries and comparing destinations to analyzing reviews, identifying flight options, and organizing information in seconds. A few months ago, I experimented with several AI travel planning tools to see how they would approach a vacation itinerary. Within moments, I had a detailed plan that included recommendations for every part of the trip.

The speed, efficiency, and depth of information were genuinely impressive. The itinerary wasn’t wrong. In fact, it was remarkably thorough. What it lacked wasn’t information or efficiency; it lacked personalization. The result felt like a well-constructed itinerary designed for a traveler rather than a thoughtfully curated experience designed for a specific person.

The question, however, is not whether AI can plan a trip. The more important question is whether planning a trip is the same thing as understanding a traveler.

That distinction may ultimately define the future of travel planning because it highlights a broader shift taking place across the industry. As information has become increasingly abundant, the value travelers seek has changed as well.

Information Has Become Abundant

For much of modern history, access to information was one of the primary reasons travelers sought professional guidance. Travel advisors helped clients discover destinations, compare options, understand logistics, and navigate booking systems that could be difficult to manage independently. Today, travelers can research destinations, compare thousands of hotel reviews, generate sample itineraries, and explore countless recommendations in a matter of minutes. Artificial intelligence has accelerated that process even further, making information more accessible than ever before. From a technology perspective, this is a tremendous advancement. However, as information becomes abundant, the value proposition shifts. The challenge is no longer finding options. The real challenge is determining which option is right for a specific traveler, given their goals, preferences, concerns, and expectations.

Throughout my years in technology, I learned that expertise rarely comes from simply possessing information. Expertise comes from applying information within a specific context and helping people make better decisions.

The same principle applies to travel.

The Difference Between Data and Judgment

One of the most valuable lessons I learned as an educator was that no two students learn exactly the same way. The same curriculum, delivered by the same teacher, could produce dramatically different outcomes depending on the individual sitting in front of you. Effective educators don’t simply deliver information; they adapt their approach based on the needs of the learner.

Travel planning operates much the same way. Two families may have identical budgets and travel dates yet want completely different experiences, while two executives attending the same conference may have entirely different priorities for how they spend their time before and after the event. Artificial intelligence excels at processing data and identifying patterns. What it often struggles to understand are the subtle human factors that influence decision-making. A travel advisor may recommend a hotel that isn’t ranked number one online because it better aligns with a client’s personality, priorities, or travel style. They may guide a client away from a destination they initially requested because previous conversations revealed a better fit elsewhere.

Those decisions are rarely driven by data alone. They are driven by context, experience, and judgment.

Why Human Relationships Still Matter

Research from Cornell University, including the work of Dr. Thomas Gilovich, suggests that people derive more lasting satisfaction from experiences than from material purchases because experiences become part of their identity and personal story. I see evidence of that regularly when clients share stories about their favorite trips. They rarely begin by discussing airline schedules, hotel room categories, or reservation confirmations. Instead, they talk about the surprise anniversary dinner they weren’t expecting, the local guide who brought a destination to life, or the moment they watched their children experience something for the first time.

I’ve experienced this personally as well. Some of the most meaningful moments in my career didn’t occur in an office or classroom. They happened while attending conferences, participating in leadership events, or traveling with colleagues and partners. Looking back, the lessons I remember most often came from conversations, relationships, and experiences rather than presentations or agendas. Memories are rooted in emotion, connection, and meaning rather than logistics, which helps explain why experiences often have a lasting impact long after the details have faded.

Those memories stay with us because they are fundamentally human.

The Future Isn’t AI Versus Humans

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding artificial intelligence is the belief that technology and human expertise are competing against one another. In reality, the most successful professionals in almost every industry are finding ways to combine the strengths of both.

Travel will likely follow the same path, with artificial intelligence handling repetitive tasks, accelerating research, organizing information, and improving efficiency while human professionals focus on judgment, creativity, empathy, and relationships. The future of travel planning is not AI versus travel advisors.

It is AI and travel advisors working together to create better outcomes than either could achieve independently. Looking Ahead Artificial intelligence will continue to transform how people research, plan, and book travel. It will make information easier to access, simplify decision-making, and eliminate many routine tasks that once consumed valuable time. At the same time, I believe human expertise will become more valuable rather than less valuable. As information becomes increasingly accessible, judgment becomes more important. As automation expands, relationships become more meaningful. And as travel planning becomes easier, understanding the traveler becomes the true differentiator.

While AI can create an itinerary in seconds, understanding what makes a trip meaningful for a particular person still requires something much more human.

I’d love to hear your perspective. Have you used AI to plan a trip, and if so, what did it do well? More importantly, what did it miss?