AI vs. Travel Advisor
AI is making its way into our world. Just last week, my wife forwarded me an email she received from Google, promoting Gemini—its new AI tool—and its trip planning capabilities.
While I use AI in my workflow, I don’t use it to plan trips. But I was curious, so I decided to test it out.
I asked Gemini to create itineraries for two trips I’ve been working on: a multi-generational trip to northeast Italy surrounding a Lake Como wedding, and one for an independent traveler in search of an adventure. I shared some basic parameters about who is traveling, why they’re taking the trip, some must-do activities, and info about the clients and their travel preferences and styles.
Below are my thoughts on what AI did well, and where it left me disappointed.
What AI Did Well
AI was a great way to generate a lot of ideas very quickly. For the Northeast Italy trip - with some help from my prompts - Gemini quickly came up with a list of potential places to visit which were driving distance from Lake Como, and - within each destination - a list of the top activities and attractions. And for the independent traveler, within a minute I had a list of destinations around the world that may appeal to a traveler with my client’s profile. For each trip I was able to quickly sort through the information and filter what I knew may be interesting. This early-stage brainstorming was a place where Gemini shined.
Like with other uses of AI the more details you provide in your prompt, the better the results will be. This was certainly the case here, as the more I shared about the clients and their tastes, the better the recommendations became. Gemini was helpful in asking some clarifying questions, but often didn’t go deep enough, relying on me to volunteer the info I collected from consultations.
Where AI Fell Short
There were two main places where Gemini came up short.
Gemini surfaced the hits, but didn’t dig deeper for the hidden gems. AI synthesizes online content, and while it has tremendous breadth, the destinations or activities with the most online buzz seemed to make it to the top. Even after sharing with Gemini that the Italy travelers are car aficionados and have particular interests in luxury cars, it didn’t quite take the bait. I was hoping that Gemini would work in a visit to the Lamborghini Museum and Factory Tour - or something similar. While this isn’t an unknown destination, it never made its way into the itinerary, missing a chance to deliver a magical moment on this trip.
AI also can’t read between the lines. The independent traveler told me that he was looking to build in some beach time at the end of his trip. While Gemini gave me a list of wonderful spots, I knew - from working with him - that he was looking more for a place with a certain mood than for a particular beach.
What AI Can’t Do
And, finally, there are some things that AI simply cannot do – at least not yet.
Even with a perfect itinerary, Gemini can’t negotiate, transact, or book with hotels or other vendors. It can’t build relationships with suppliers, advocate for you while on the road, or fix any unforeseen problem mid-trip. And it can’t lean on lived experience (or that of others) to reliably add local nuance or perspective.
Key Takeaways
Using Gemini was a learning experience, and I expect that I’ll begin to adopt it into my planning activities at the front of the ideation funnel. The core of the work that Key Travel Advisors does - which AI isn’t able to do - is to refine and transform those ideas into a trip that’s tailored just for you.
