Trip Planning

AI Travel Assistant: Can AI Replace Human Travel Planners? Discover the Pros and Cons of AI in Travel Planning |

Published

8 months ago

November 23, 2024

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WHY DO TRAVELLERS USE AI FOR TRAVEL PLANSAccording to travellers, instead of browsing numerous websites, travel blogs, and comment sections, AI simplifies the process by providing a concise summary in a single chat. From offering approximate costs to updating them on opening and closing hours, AI delivers all the key details.

AI-generated representative image

CHALLENGES FACED BY TRAVELLERS USING AIPrompts give generic information:While AI tools like Chat GPT, Gemini, and Co-pilot can provide generic information for itineraries, travellers suggest that providing as detailed information as possible such as distance, food preference, hobbies, likes and dislikes, and age group of the traveller – will help get better itineraries planned by AI.

While planning a day in Vienna, I asked AI to create an itinerary for a tourist who felt lazy and had an interest in art and culture. Instead of sifting through multiple websites for information, the detailed prompts provided a good starting point for the trip. But one can’t overly rely on the itinerary shared by AI

Sagar Dave, a Pune-based traveller

Inaccuracy in details: One needs to verify the information given by AI from different sources. “While the AI tool will give basic details, the information needs to be verified from different sources as there is still a concern about inaccuracy in details such as distance, the time needed for travel, time of travelling,” explains Gurgaon-based Abhishek Baxi, who used AI tool to plan his day in San Francisco and Singapore.Lack of information about unpopular hidden spots: AI can only provide details about places that are available online. AI often overlooks unique interests or hidden gems and tends to focus on popular tourist spots.Change in pricing: AI-driven price fluctuations can cause travellers to see varying prices during their booking searches. This unpredictability can affect the travel planning and budgeting process, making it difficult to determine the best time to book.Over-reliance on AI tools: Travellers who use AI tools say that relying on its suggestions can lead to missing important real-time factors like the weather or local changes. “In addition to lacking real-time updates, AI will only show information like entry cost, working hours/days, or service closures based on the last time it was updated online,” adds Dave.Lack of human assistance: “While AI chatbots and virtual assistants aim to reduce the workload of customer service agents, in emergencies, we typically seek human interaction for effective solutions. AI responses often lack the empathy and flexibility required to address urgent issues,” says Gaurav Satam, a Mumbai resident.

Despite the advancements in AI technology, it cannot replace travel agents and tour operators, who offer essential human interaction for creating tailored trip plans and customised itineraries

Jay Bhatia, Vice President of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI)

AI is not a replacement for human ingenuity. While it automates certain tasks in customer-facing roles, it complements rather than replaces professionals like travel agents or tour guides. By providing valuable data on customer preferences and trends, AI enables these professionals to offer more proactive, personalised service

Vijeta Soni, co-founder of a tech company specialising in automated price optimisation solutions for the travel industry

LIMITATION OF AI TOOLS FOR ORGANIZERSAccording to industry experts, “Garbage in, garbage out” is a fundamental concept when working with AI. “We recognise that AI tools are only as effective as the quality of the data they receive. Poor data input inevitably leads to unreliable results,” says Vijeta Soni, co-founder and ceo, Sciative Solutions. “A key challenge is maintaining clean, organized data, which requires ongoing effort. Once managed, the next hurdle is analysing it to extract real-time, scalable insights. Many companies rely on AI primarily for analysis,” she adds.

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Trip Planning

TTC Tour Brands Adds 16 New Tours Across Three Brands for 2026 Travel

Published

4 hours ago

July 23, 2025

the Editor

TTC Tour Brands announced the addition of 16 new itineraries for 2026 travel across its Trafalgar, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold brands. The expansion represents the company’s largest introduction of new trips in seven years.

The new tours span five continents and include nature escapes, culinary explorations, heritage adventures and women-only departures. All tours come with the company’s “Price Drop Promise,” which guarantees travelers the best available price even if tour costs decrease after booking.

“With destinations like Portugal, South Korea and the Balkans trending for 2025, a growing demand for women-only experiences and a desire for multi-country adventures, these new itineraries tap directly into travelers’ emerging desires through more meaningful experiences,” said Melissa DaSilva, deputy CEO of TTC Tour Brands. “Enhanced with our signature experiences and guidance from local experts, these new trips allow travelers to make valuable connections with the places they visit. We’re not just adding more destinations, we’re meeting our travelers’ desire to connect more deeply with the world and with themselves.

RELATED: Why TTC Tour Brands Hosted 500 Advisors on Simultaneous Fam Trips

Trafalgar will offer nearly 10 new itineraries covering scenic U.S. destinations and European cities. The additions include a 12-day Spain, Morocco and Portugal Whirl connecting the three diverse cultures, a 9-day Best of Romania, Transylvania and Hungary tour featuring gothic castles and medieval villages and a 9-day Balkans Coast Explorer covering Albania, Croatia and Montenegro. Other new Trafalgar itineraries include an 11-day family-oriented English Adventure, a 9-day Villages of France slow-travel experience and an 11-day Best of Sri Lanka itinerary.

Insight Vacations will launch more than five new itineraries including its first Women’s Only trip series. New offerings include a 10-day Adriatic Escape from Dubrovnik to Montenegro, a 13-day Wonders of Sri Lanka journey, a 9-day Soul of the Deep South tour focusing on Civil Rights history and music trails, a 12-day Heart of Patagonia trek through Argentina and Chile and a 9-day Contrasts of Brazil and Argentina experience.

RELATED: Tour Review: A Women-Only Tour of Egypt With Trafalgar

Luxury Gold will add two new experiences: a 10-day Spectacular Scotland tour covering the Highlands, ancestral estates and including a champagne cruise on Loch Lomond, and an 11-day Ultimate Portugal journey from Porto to the Algarve featuring wine, architecture and coastal experiences with a Douro River cruise and cathedral visits in Evora and Coimbra.

The new tours are available for booking now for 2026 departures through the TTC Tour Brands Travel Advisor Portal. TTC Tour Brands operates Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold and other travel brands.

Editor’s Note: This article was generated by AI, based on a press release distributed by TTC Tour Brands. It has been fact-checked and reviewed by a TravelAge West editor.

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Trip Planning

Trafalgar, Luxury Gold and Insight reveal new itineraries for next year: Travel Weekly

Published

5 hours ago

July 23, 2025

Look both waysWhen you're with a group, it's natural to go with the flow. But in Bimini, an extraordinary encounter occurred after I turned...

TTC Tour Brands will launch 16 new itineraries next year, marking the company’s largest itinerary expansion in seven years.

Trafalgar will introduce eight
itineraries next year; Insight Vacations will launch six; and Luxury
Gold will debut two.

Melissa DaSilva, deputy CEO of TTC Tour Brands, said the itineraries reflect the growing demand for women-only travel and multicountry tours.

Some of the new TTC tours

The Trafalgar itineraries will bring travelers to Europe, Asia and the U.S. The Spain, Morocco & Portugal Whirl itinerary will span 12 days, taking travelers to cities like Madrid, Costa del Sol, Tangier and Lisbon. The 10-day South Korea Tour to Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan itinerary visits the Korean Demilitarized Zone and Hahoe Village, a Unesco World Heritage site, and includes a rice-wine tasting in Busan.

In the U.S., travelers can take advantage of the Scenic Great Lakes with Mackinac Island itinerary. The nine-day trip starts in Chicago and ends in Detroit, with two nights on Michigan’s car-free Mackinac Island.

One of the tineraries being introduced by Insight Vacations is a women-only tour of the Southern U.S., the nine-day Soul of the Deep South, a Women-Only Tour through Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Luxury Gold, which specializes in luxury small groups, will operate Spectacular Scotland and Ultimate Portugal. The Scotland itinerary explores the country across 10 days and includes the highlands, Edinburgh and the Isle of Mull. The Portugal trip features a foodie tour in Porto, a wine tasting in the Douro Valley and a visit to the Algarve.

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