The president of Clia believes artificial intelligence will never replace travel agents but warned businesses which focus “on selling for price” will not grow.
Cindy D’Aoust said she was “bullish” on the role of the travel trade as technology became more widely used to sell cruise holidays.
D’Aoust added: “It does not matter whether it is digitalisation or anything else, the value a travel agent brings is their expertise, their knowledge, they understand their products, the visa requirements, what the gastronomical options are.
“Artificial intelligence will make tremendous progress, but nothing will replace the human who has experienced the industry.”
However, she fired a warning to sections of the trade, who sell as many cruise holidays as cheaply as possible.
“If you are focused on selling on price then you are not going to grow your business. That is the big takeaway for any travel agent to be successful,” she warned.
She described a travel agent’s role today a “consultative” one, adding that they bring together their expertise in many areas.
“People can go online and find out tonnes of information and become overwhelmed,” she added.
“But what agents can do is curate through all the options combined with their experience and knowledge and make that right recommendation.
“Why would you not use the travel professional? You do not have to pay for that expertise. The cruise lines invest in educating them and compensating them.”
But she said there would be always be “a segment” of the population that is “comfortable” booking a cruise electronically, she added.
D’Aoust said the “smart” travel agent would take advantage of technology, so it “becomes a tool” to increase their value.