AI is everywhere in business travel conversations right now and
for good reason. It’s already reshaping how we work.
Much of the focus has been on efficiency: replacing manual
processes, automating routine tasks, and using Agentic AI to handle simple
requests so that human agents can focus on the complex ones. Jeff Klee captured
this well in his recent article on the need for both software and
service. And travel managers are rightly asking how AI can summarize data,
automate reporting and elevate traveler experience.
But here’s what’s missing: How suppliers are designing and
executing on a people roadmap.
The People Roadmap
AI isn’t just about doing the same work faster or cheaper.
It’s about freeing up human talent to do different, more innovative work.
Imagine a TMC that uses AI for bookings, audits and service requests. That’s
great, but now imagine those freed-up human resources designing bespoke
solutions, co-creating strategy with clients and delivering insights that
actually move the client’s business forward. That’s not a marginal improvement.
That’s a different business model.
And where do the dollars for investing in people come from?
Steve Singh shared at The Beat Live that AI could reduce costs which would give
TMCs more investment dollars. AI essentially has the capability to create
margin that can allow for a rethink of the value people bring.
This shift demands more than a tech roadmap. It demands a
people roadmap. Suppliers, ask yourself:
- Are
you training staff to move from process management into strategy,
innovation, and AI orchestration?
- Are
you planning roles such as AI integrators, prompt engineers, and ethics overseers?
- Do you
envision someone specifically tasked with integrating supplier AI with
client AI systems to drive cohesive, data-rich workflows?
As roles evolve, suppliers may not need traditional agents, but
they will need new integrators who combine AI-first with human-centricity.
Consider this: In the near future, you may not need a
dedicated agent at all. But you will need someone like an AI integrator who
can analyze business challenges, identify the right AI tools, and integrate
them into workflows in a way that improves efficiency, traveler experience and
decision-making. That person becomes just as critical to the travel program as
the agent once was. An early indicator of this shift is the rise of consultants
and advisory services in the business travel industry which is proof that human
expertise, context and orchestration are becoming more valuable, not less.
More Than Job Descriptions
A people roadmap is not just about job descriptions. It’s
about capability building, career pathing and culture change. How are
organizations creating the learning journeys that empower employees to evolve
with technology? How are leaders helping staff see AI as an enabler, not a
threat? How are companies rewarding skills like curiosity, adaptability and
critical thinking, the very traits that AI cannot replicate?
A tech roadmap and a people roadmap viewed together, can be
a catalyst for thinking vastly different about how to solve problems, going
beyond thinking about how to just do it the same way today but more
efficiently.
Ultimately, there is an opportunity for suppliers to rethink
their entire value proposition. It’s an opportunity for tech and humans to
evolve together, with intertwined roadmaps that show how suppliers will deliver
not just transactions, but true travel program management that drives client
business outcomes. It’s an opportunity to move from transactional execution to
strategic orchestration. That means:
- Human
creativity and strategic insight, amplified by AI
- AI
agents that communicate across systems and customers
- A
workforce that evolves alongside the tools they command
The suppliers who understand this dual shift of AI
capabilities and people readiness will lead the next generation of travel
management.