The thrust of the new AI-driven solution will see members of the network able to search preferred products and generate complex itineraries in much faster time.
“Imagine a system that…only shopped from within our preferred product range, had in-built guardrails to prevent hallucinations, and produced amazing output in a fraction of the time,” Managing Director Christian Hunter said.
“The efficiency will amplify member businesses massively and address one of – if not the biggest challenge members face today – a shortage of time.”
The time-poor nature of Australian advisors is a well-documented scourge of the industry, with many brands launching their own policies to free up time so that advisors can do what they do best – sell.
Hunter laid out in simple terms how much Travellers Choice members stand to benefit from the AI system in development.
“If a consultant can turn a one-hour task into a 40-minute task, they have won 20 minutes.
“If they can do that twice a day, that’s the equivalent to 200 minutes a week, 800 minutes a month, 9,600 minutes – an additional 20 working days – every year per staff member.”
While the time-saving element is clearly a major plank of the strategy, Hunter also pointed to other key agency benefits, such as fast-tracking the professional development of less experienced consultants and mitigating “leakage” by building itineraries based on preferred product.
In a bold predictive statement, Hunter said its unique AI tools could eliminate the need for its members to leaf through brochures or surf websites during product searches.
Chatting with Travel Daily at the Travellers Choice conference in Melbourne over the weekend, Hunter said AI becoming more efficient than traditional brochures may be welcomed by advisors and suppliers alike.
“That debate has been around for a while and I think quite frankly a lot of suppliers would love to see brochures disappear – they’re a huge cost.
“However, they remain a very important sales tool,” he added.
The AI project is being rolled out in phases, with the complex itinerary builder to be completed in mid 2026.
