Why travel agents are making a comeback in the age of AI

Before the internet, booking a holiday usually meant leafing through glossy brochures then visiting a high‑street travel agency. Central to the whole business was the travel agent, or “TA”: the essential link between the traveller and the industry, their skill often determining whether a trip was derailed by bad luck or saved by a few well‑placed calls. They were later rendered all but obsolete by the advent of aggregators and booking sites, followed by AI and algorithms promising the best deals and “hidden gems” in a single search.

But the pendulum is swinging back. Decision fatigue, limited time and a desire for trips that feel personal and authentic are steering travellers – including digital-native millennials and Gen Z – towards human expertise.

Why luxury travellers are returning to human travel advisors

Sumit Gita, 26, travels regularly, spending up to US$6,000 per night for ultra-luxury stays, and has worked with the Sarah W Lee agency for two years. “I used to book everything myself, thinking travel agents don’t do anything except collect a commission,” the finance worker says. In Bali, Lee coordinated his stay at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan , plus the chain’s Jimbaran property, and added thoughtful details that made a difference. “I’m not big on packed activity schedules, but Sarah nailed some special touches,” he says, citing a private riverside gazebo dinner and couples’ massage. Beyond coordinating romantic moments and last-minute bookings, it’s the smooth handling that’s earned his loyalty: “If there’s any issue, she just handles it. Her connections get it done.”

The agency’s eponymous founder was already a tech-savvy planner when she pivoted from finance to travel in 2013 after realising there was a market for the itineraries she’d been sharing with friends. “I was the person who knew where to go,” Lee says. From day one she drew a clear line: no junk fees, no opaque mark‑ups – hallmarks of an antiquated model she wanted to move beyond.

The modern travel agent must also be finely attuned to their clients’ preferences. Each of Lee’s clients has a profile that evolves after every stay, with details that foster goodwill with hotels and speed solutions when the unexpected arises. “Tell me you love mojitos – they’ll be waiting in your room. If you moved to G&Ts on the last trip, the hotel tells us and I update your profile.”

Human vs AI travel agents

Beyond perks and upgrades, though, Lee offers relief from hours of trawling sites that suggest the same “first‑timer” itinerary. AI can draft a plan, but trust and context remain sticking points. Many travellers want a human to step in when things go wrong and to open doors money alone cannot. Nearly 90 per cent of consumers intend to use AI online travel agents in future travel planning, according to a 2025 Booking.com survey. Yet only a small share was comfortable blindly following AI, indicating the enduring – and growing – value of human guidance.

The rise of curated and concierge-led travel

Last year, Jacqueline Tsang co-founded travel concierge Revamont , specialising in luxury European alpine travel, after spotting demand for exclusive, highly curated itineraries that clients could hand off entirely. “Everyone is time poor,” she notes. Tsang’s clients are also long past the bucket list phase. Hidden gems have become a cliché; what many now want is the “un‑bucket list”: places and moments that sit offline and cannot be accessed by the average traveller.

“Our role is a linguistic and cultural bridge,” says Tsang. Revamont assigns an Experience Host – one person accompanying the group on the ground who reads the room, anticipates needs and pivots plans before friction appears. “Maybe the weather turns – we already have plan B. Maybe you look a little under the weather – we ease off the morning hike. Clients can stop worrying and start connecting.”

Tsang’s background in luxury media gave her not only connections but experience in storytelling and the skill to ask the right questions. One group of lifelong friends came wanting something unconventional, so Revamont delivered an “anti‑itinerary” – flexible days in the Alps, a gentle forest walk and lakeside meditation, plus private dinners in mountain huts and space to talk and be together.

Whether it’s invitation‑only Alpine golf, high-octane visits to Red Bull’s Hangar‑7 in Salzburg or intimate chef‑led tastings, the aim, Tsang argues, isn’t performative one‑upmanship but privacy over prestige – time and space with the people who matter. “Quality time, without logistics or noise, is the real luxury,” she says.

What human travel advisors offer that algorithms can’t

For Lee, access is the ultimate secret weapon. She’s booked the five‑bedroom Harbour House at Rosewood Hong Kong – “the Birkin bag of hotel rooms” – and secured early reservations on the Four Seasons yacht when availability was tightly restricted. She even arranged an F1 garage visit for a car‑mad toddler, an age at which children are not usually allowed to enter the pits.

“I can’t say I know everybody,” she says, “but my phonebook is large, and if I don’t know them personally, I know somebody who does. I’m never more than a couple of degrees away from getting someone what they need.

“That’s how I make magic happen.”

Top tips for working with a travel agent

Sarah W Lee and Jacqueline Tsang share their expert advice on how to work with a travel agent below.

What to do

• Spend time with your TA so they get to know you and you get to know them. That way, they’ll be able to get you the best personalised perks.
• Be honest about what your budget is. A good TA will have honest conversations about how to achieve what your dream holiday.
• Give feedback post-stay. The more your TA gets to know you, the better the recommendations they can make for the future.
• Share your “why” as well as your “where”. Giving your TC an idea of your deeper intentions around your trip will help them build an itinerary around emotional outcomes, too.

What to avoid

• Putting all your trust in AI. It’s good for inspiration, but there’s no substitute for human relationships and experience. 
• Shopping around for TAs for the same trip. Find one you’d like to work with and build that relationship. 
• Being afraid to tell your agent if something goes wrong midtrip. They can fix problems and work with the hotel to find resolutions.