Does artificial intelligence spell the beginning of the end of the tourism profession? Or can using AI make you a better guide and help you build a more profitable company?



Micky Kandola believes AI is nothing but good news for guides, tour operators and other tourism professionals. As a veteran tour director, he has found ways to leverage the power of AI to get better and faster at his work, and he loves helping others do the same. Micky joins this episode of the podcast to discuss how travel pros can put artificial intelligence to work in their businesses without sacrificing their unique humanity.



Micky shares how he uses ChatGPT and other AI tools to prepare for tours and create resources his travelers love. He also gives his perspective on why the human touch of group tours is irreplaceable and how travel pros can use AI to find hidden insights in their tour evaluations. Plus, we have news about staffing issues at America's national parks; a Road Tip about the best way to pay for things on the road; and a Hot Minute about the biggest opportunity most travel companies are missing.















Insights from Micky Kandola



Micky had a lot of great ideas about how travel professionals can — and can't — do with artificial intelligence. Here's what he said about the role it can play in group travel:




“On a tour, people need a human contact. The commentary isn’t the most important thing I do. The most important thing I do is connect with my guests and make sure they know they’re taken care of. AI can’t do that.... I see it as a tool, not a replacement."









Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:




* The work involved in preparing for a great group tour



* How AI can reveal hidden insights inside trip evaluations



* AI tools that tour directors and tour operators can use to create better guest resources





















Resources Mentioned in This Episode



Join the Tour Directing and AI group on Facebook.



Follow Micky Kandola on Facebook.



Get free resources for beginning or growing your group travel career on our Start Here page.











Key Moments From This Episode



1:27 — Travel News: Federal hiring freeze may impact travel to national parks



2:51 — Road Tip: The best way to pay for things when you travel



9:15 — Free resources for new group travel professionals



13:49 — Why Micky Kandola embraces artificial intelligence



15:57 — How AI can help tour directors prepare for departures



19:23 — Is AI going to replace tour operators or tour directors?



24:08 — Surprising applications of AI for group travel



27:00 — Using AI to get insights on your post-trip evaluations



32:02 — Creating customized group dining guides in ChatGPT



36:51 — How to handle errors when using AI in tour directing



50:08 — Hot Minute: The biggest opportunity your travel compa...