It seems like it should be easy - ask an AI platform to plan a once-in-a-lifetime trip and come away with the perfect customized itinerary, including flights, hotels and destinations all wrapped up in one tidy package.
But Canadian advisors tell Open Jaw that they're increasingly having to fix AI-generated itineraries clients give them, from non-existent flights and closed resorts to attractions that aren't open and impossible connection times.
"I spend more time ... untangling people's itineraries," said Tracey, an advisor based in Winnipeg, who asked Open Jaw not to use her last name.
Her latest example is a client who came in wanting to book a trip to Portugal and had thought she could fly direct from Winnipeg on Porter Airlines after a recommendation from AI, she said.
"She actually had a good sense of humour and we laughed about it," said Tracey. "I like to say to clients that AI is like Wikipedia; it's a good place to start for sure, but you really need to check everything."
Tracey's experience isn't unique.
In September, AI travel marketplace Greetwell released a survey of 1,000 US travellers, asking about the errors AI made when trying to plan their trips. About one in six people said they had been recommended a tour, place or activity that did not exist.
"It's a good reminder that AI can be helpful for ideas and research, but details such as hotel status, schedules, pricing, and availability still need to be verified," said Dolly Kaur-Arora of Platinum Routes Travel in Toronto.
Kaur-Arora told Open Jaw that while she hasn't personally encountered a major AI travel mistake, she has heard stories from others.
"A colleague mentioned a client who asked about a resort that ChatGPT had recommended, only to find out the resort had already closed."
Julia Rambeau-Smith, head of MRG Travel in Toronto, said another AI stumbling block she's come across is the timing of connections.
"We have also found in the past that connecting flight and train times may not be realistic for people to retrieve bags and re-board in due time, unless prompted for a minimum layover, such as 'we would like at least 1.5 hour layover,'" she told Open Jaw.
She added that an AI platform may also miss the fine details.
"A client was interested in a family vacation with 1-2 night stops. They plotted it out with Claude and sent it to me, which is great, if they have a detailed plan to come into a meeting with," she said.
"That said, one hotel had a three-night minimum, so the itinerary didn't fit their needs. Claude's recommendation didn't note the hotel's minimum stay requirement, so we rerouted the trip and (had) them stay at another hotel/town."
Closed attractions, ignoring distance limits
A USA Today article quotes another traveller who used ChatGPT for advice during her trip to Paris and was advised to visit the Musée d’Orsay on a Monday when it’s closed.
A second traveller told the newspaper that he had tested an AI platform for a trip to Kenya, and found it was pulling information from outdated travel websites.
"You don't always know where the information is coming from, do you," said Tracey. "The AI bot could be taking it from information that was published during, say like, COVID, and the restaurant or tour could be closed; it could be different hours, all sorts of things."
Clients are also finding outdated or inaccurate pricing, said Judith Coates of Toronto's Wired For Travel.
She described one client who told her that ChatGPT could beat her price by 50%. She told the client that ChatGPT doesn't have access to live, bookable inventory, often pulls 'starting at' rates that aren't applicable, and doesn't include things like resort fees, which Coates said are included in her quotes for clients.
The client decided to book his trip himself, but came back to her when "he discovered that he couldn't find one of the private special interest tours I had included in my quote, so he came back to me asking if I could book that one for them. ChatGPT likely told them they could get something similar for around $200, when in reality, it ended up being $1,200 for the two of them," she said.
While the mistakes can create headaches for travellers, advisors say they also highlight the limits of relying on AI alone.
AI is proving advisors' value
The data suggests that at the moment, AI is enhancing the value of travel advisors rather than replacing them.
A study released in April by Transat Distribution Canada showed that travellers turn to advisors "for deeply human strengths" that technology can't replicate.
Among the advisor strengths highlighted in the research are accountability, destination expertise, reassurance, error prevention, and the ability to navigate the complexities of travel planning.
"Advisors know, we know our destinations, we know the little spots, we know the things that AI misses," said Tracey. "I think as people want more vacations that are more personal, then talking to (advisors) is going to be even more important than ever, even with new AI (models)."
Coates agreed.
"The reason (clients come) to you in the first place is that they're busy people, they value your expertise, and they don't want the hassle of having to do it themselves. That's exactly the role I play. I look after all the details so that (clients) can have a stress-free vacation!"
