Unlocking the Future of Travel: Mastering Your Dream Vacation with AI Planning Tools

AI or artificial intelligence is changing just about everything we do. It's a fantastic tool and we can use it to unlock the future of travel too. 

A new study conducted on behalf of GuideGeek by Southpaw Insights indicate that an overwhelming majority of us, in fact, 63% of those surveyed have had a negative experience while planning a past vacation. Of those, a quarter said that they had ultimately regretted their choice of destination. 

Oh no. If you are going to spend points or miles or cash, eek, you should enjoy the trip. 

So how can AI help make planning easier and help you pick the best destination for your next vacation. Here are the top four ways I'm using AI right now to plan my next vacation. 

1. Intelligent Recommendations: AI-powered travel platforms can analyze your preferences, past travel patterns and online behavior to provide personalized recommendations for destinations, accommodations, attractions and activities that align with your interests. 

For example, I asked Chat GPT for a recommendation of a warm, affordable destination with lots of outdoor activities and here's what it found. 

Well done, I've taken my family to Thailand and we loved it! Yep, warm, affordable and lots of outdoor activities. 

But what if we preferred to stay in the US. 

Okay, Arizona. Maybe Sedona. Sure that could be an option. You could ask it to reply again with specific places. Apparently, it thinks Tucson would be the best option. Now I could do more research to see if I think so too. Remember this is just a first step. 

2. Smart Itinerary Generation: AI algorithms can create optimized travel itineraries based on factors such as your desired destinations, available time, budget and preferences. 

Since according to the study, 30% of respondents said planning the vacation was too difficult. 

For example, I asked Chat GPT to design a two week trip to Tahiti for a family. Here's what it designed for me: 

I've heard that Bora Bora is very expensive so I asked ChatGPT to redesign the itinerary without Bora Bora and it obliged. 

Again, this is a great tool to start your research. I asked for recommendations for budget accommodations in Tahiti. ChatGPT only has information up to 2021 so keep that in mind. There may be some newer locations open that won't be listed. 

3. Intelligent Chatbots like Guide Geek can provide instant assistance and answers to travel related questions.

  Since 28% of respondents said they weren't happy with their choice of activities while on vacation, chatbots could help with that too. Whether you need information about visa requirements, local transportation or recommendations for dining options. These chatbots can quickly provide accurate up to date information. I tried asking Guide Geek for some things to do in Puerto Rico. 

4. Language Translation and Assistance: AI powered translation tools can help bridge this gap by providing real time translation services, enabling you to communicate effectively with locals. Examples include apps like iTranslate and Google Translate. Google Translate is awesome because you can use your camera to translate signs, menus and more. 

I'll keep updating this post as more tools come online.