Soccer sideline conversations and the takeover of AI
“Travel agents are really becoming a thing of the past.”
That was the line I overheard from a parent while I was sitting on the sideline at my daughter’s soccer game.
And before you criticize me for eavesdropping, he was sitting close enough that I could not not hear him. Also, let’s be honest, we have all accidentally become invested in a stranger’s conversation during a youth sports game.
He was making small talk with another parent during a game that had, let’s say, stopped being suspenseful. From what I could gather, he worked in tech, and he was talking about how AI is replacing so many things we used to rely on people for.
And in some ways, he is right.
AI can do a lot. It can write meal plans, summarize articles, help your kid understand fractions, and even build a pretty decent travel itinerary
But when he said travel agents were becoming a thing of the past?!
That is where I had to respectfully, silently, internally, and with great sideline restraint, disagree.
I know what you are thinking.
“Of course you disagree. You are a travel agent.”
Fair.
But hear me out.
I have been helping friends plan trips long before I ever did this as a job. People came to me because they wanted help from someone they knew, trusted, AND had been there done that. They wanted recommendations on what to see in Scotland, how to find the best show tickets in New York City, choose a good beach location on the Gulf, or figure out how to take three little kids to Disney without losing their minds before lunch.
That is what travel advisors do.
We do the personal, thoughtful, specific planning that a search engine or AI chatbot cannot fully replace.
AI can tell you the most popular hotel. A travel advisor can help you figure out which hotel actually fits your family.AI can suggest a 5 star restaurant. A travel advisor can tell you whether it makes sense with your schedule, your kids, your location, and your energy level after a full city day.AI can recommend a Disney resort. A travel advisor can help choose the best resort for easy transportation, plan around different ages and mobility needs, and think through the magical little details because they know what matters to your family.When I work with clients, I get to know how they travel. I ask questions they may not know to ask. I think ahead to the details that can make a trip smoother, easier, and more fun.
Because a great trip is not just about information.
It is about knowing what to do with that information.
So if I had been brave enough to lean over and join the sideline conversation, I probably would have said:
“I would love to see AI plan a Disney trip for a family with three kids and grandparents, choose the easiest transportation, build a park strategy around different ages, heights, interests, and mobility needs, and still remember the magical touches because it knows their favorite characters. When AI can do all that, I will gladly step aside.”
But instead, I just sat there and cheered for soccer.