In a groundbreaking move, Travelweek in partnership with TravelBrands, is launching a wave of new initiatives aimed at propelling the travel industry into the dynamic realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

An array of educational programs will help travel advisors realize the time-saving benefits and efficiency gains of AI. There’s also a suite of new products and services for travel suppliers. It’s all part of a new division called Travelweek AI.

“Over the past year, Travelweek has dedicated extensive efforts to thoroughly researching this innovative new technology. We have now gained confidence in our findings and are eagerly looking forward to introducing this technology to the travel industry,” stated Devin Kinasz, Publisher of Travelweek. “We approach our responsibility of delivering essential information to our readers with utmost dedication, and we firmly believe that this is information they must know.”

AI is exciting, but can also be intimidating for many. On offer to travel agents will be a suite of educational opportunities for agents, so they can begin to harness the technology in their own businesses. While TravelBrands continues to offer exciting new technological advancements with their Access+ platform and GiGi, the new smart reservations system by Intair.

“We are very excited to partner with Travelweek on this smart initiative to utilize AI technology. At TravelBrands, we love technology and innovation as both embody our mission to make travel agents’ lives easier,” says Nathalie Tanious, President & CEO, TravelBrands. “We provide tools to the travel agent community to help them better meet Canadian travellers’ needs with greater speed, efficiency, and accuracy. With our ever-evolving air reservations system, GiGi, and Access+, we are proud to take the lead and adapt to new travel technologies to continue raising the bar and set a new standard.”

AI initiatives for travel agents 
 

Travelweek will present a monthly year-long webinar series for travel agents called ‘Unleashing AI’s Potential for Travel Agents’ sponsored by TravelBrands. The series will take participants step-by-step through how to set up and use all the best AI. tools. That includes everything from generating 10 social media posts in 10 seconds, to writing email responses to client complaints, building custom GPTs, chatbots for sales leads, lifelike video avatars and much, much more. 

The FREE ‘Unleashing AI’s Potential for Travel Agents’ webinar series will run the second Wednesday of the month at 1 pm with many prizes to be won. Agents can register here for free.

“Now that I am a certified AI Business Consultant, I am eager to impart the wealth of AI knowledge I’ve acquired, which can be effectively applied by travel agents. The beauty of this technology lies in its simplicity, making it not only easy but also enjoyable to use. The efficiency gains and time-saving benefits it offers are truly remarkable,” Kinasz further elaborated.

For those agents who want to learn more quickly or have a deskside resource, the ‘AI Manual for Travel Agents’ has been released with step-by-step information and instructions on using all the AI tools most relevant to travel agents. The regular price is $99, but courtesy of TravelBrands, will be discounted until the end of February for $29 here.

Furthermore, agents can join the TravelBrands Facebook group where the company will share tips, and where agents can ask questions, and together with Travelweek help build the knowledge base. Agents can join the group here.

Industry has survived & thrived with new tech 

For decades the travel industry has been finding ways to get the best results from new technology, from the creation of the GDS, to e-ticketing, to the Internet and beyond.  

Through it all, the industry has survived and thrived, thanks to its people-first approach to customer service. 

Now with AI, travel advisors and the industry can find new ways to maximize their irreplaceable service ethos with next-level time-saving tools. 

AI initiatives for travel suppliers

Travelweek has also launched a suite of five new AI marketing products to help their advertising partners leverage the power of this powerful technology, including in the realms of marketing, editorial, e-learning, social media and more. This will be showcased in the new media kit, ‘Travelweek AI Marketing Unleashed.’ 

“This technology is ushering in a profound transformation that is poised to disrupt and reshape every facet of the economy, including the travel sector. As a result, companies are finding themselves compelled to adapt at an accelerated pace,” Kinasz explained. “Much like the major tech giants are making substantial investments in AI technology, Travelweek is also dedicated to embracing this paradigm shift. Rather than succumbing to fear, we recognize the inevitability of AI’s impact and are committed to harnessing its potential.”

Other services will also be offered include team training, custom ChatGPT builds, task automization, chatbox builds, marketing and editorial design. 

These new products and services will fall under a new division within the company called Travelweek AI, which is dedicated to serving the travel industry with this powerful new technology.

If you are interested in more information, please visit travelweek.ca/ai.