Toby has never been on a cruise, has never seen the Blue Lagoon, and has never spoken with a customer. He’s not going to be a travel advisor. But he can sit at your elbow and help your business in hundreds of ways.
Travel Research Online’s answer to Chat GPT, Toby, has been studying the ways in which travel advisors communicate with customers, develop itineraries, and market their services. And a series of new enhancements are on the way. Some of the AI Image generations are included in this article.
As of today, Toby has access to both Google’s new Gemini and a beta version of real-time information on the internet. On the drawing board are two products: one that will follow your clients and report anything that might impact them, like railroad strikes or bad weather, and one that will allow you to upload supplier documents and personalize them with your agency’s logo.
Toby’s optimum place is in the content-marketing space that keeps travel advisors top of mind with customers between trips—on social media, in newsletters, and in emails and letters you send for their birthdays and anniversaries, TRO president Richard Earls said on a webinar last week. In addition to text, it can create customized photos or avatars of your staff.
Toby AI is part of the Voyager Social group of B2B travel industry programs developed by TRO affiliate Arqiteqt Software. Partnerships with Travel Leaders, CCRA, TPI, Levarte Travel, and ASTA provide discounts, and there is a seven-day free trial for anyone who wants to take Toby out on a date.
