NEWS delegates as it hails record year and outlines prospects for 2026. Robin Murray reports from Liverpool
Agency’s AI tool is ‘basis of something remarkable’
T
Karina Fox- Andrews
ravel Counsellors has rolled out its new AI digital assistant to its global network of 2,300 agents following 18 months of development. TC Co-Pilot is a standalone interface that
will be integrated within the homeworking agency’s digital booking platform, Phenix, forming part of an £18.5 million investment in technology this year. Chief technology officer Jon Bauer said Co-Pilot
“stands apart from generic AI tools” because it offers a “completely new product experience” by using Travel Counsellors’ own data to offer personalised results. The tool will assist with business tasks such as building
itineraries, researching hotels, creating marketing materials and planning social media content. Bauer said it will also “add a personal touch to the
customer experience”, with features including tailored packing lists, local restaurant recommendations and personalised welcome letters, which will “free up time” for agents to focus on building client relationships. “Our platform forms the foundations of something
remarkable: a platform that’s not just built for travel counsellors but built around you,” Bauer told delegates. The 18-month development period of Co-Pilot saw
the tool used by 120 travel counsellors on a trial basis, who suggested improvements that were implemented by the company’s tech team. Chief executive Steve Byrne described Co-Pilot as
new customers a year
customers each a month – 24 a year – and with social media it sounds doable.” She said the company will survey its
agents to find out how confident they are using social media before rolling out training to “help you prep for peaks”. Fox-Andrews also outlined her desire to
“reactivate” existing clients who have not booked in the past year as she encouraged business owners to partner with fellow travel counsellors via TC Teams. She revealed the agency has almost
40,000 “lapsing customers” in its database, which she saw as “a huge opportunity”.
Jon Bauer
“unique” because it takes advantage of the “very best AI tools” and combines them with external travel content and the company’s data. In an interview with Travel Weekly, he said travel agents
will need to be “more proactive and consultative than ever” to prove their worth as an increasing number of consumers turn to AI for holiday inspiration. Byrne urged agents to “stand out from the crowd” by
combining their own social media content and product knowledge with AI tools to retain existing clients and attract new customers. However, he stressed it is vital agents maintain a human element throughout the process. This was echoed by global sales director Jim Eastwood,
who said: “In a world where AI is encroaching upon that human-led territory and trying to blur the lines about what is real and what is machine, you are the key differentiator.”
AGENTS’ CONFERENCE FEEDBACK
Mahul Patel “The conference has inspired me to take my business to the next level. My business thrives on working with other travel counsellors, so I use the conference as an opportunity to get to
know as many people as possible.”
Dean Wilson “This is my 20th TC conference and they keep getting bigger and better. My main takeaway is that it’s clear that travel counsellors who work in teams make
more money and have bigger businesses. Katherine Ryan was brilliant and The Script were pretty good too.”
Suzy Woodmansey “Simon Reeve was absolutely amazing and his advice to take things step by step really resonated with me; we can have a tendency to compare ourselves with others, but we shouldn’t
do that because we’re all going at a different pace.”
Camilla Suntay “I’ve really enjoyed this year’s conference, even more than last year’s. Hearing the stories of how other travel counsellors have got to where they are has been
inspirational, so I’m going to keep going and take advantage of every opportunity. The Script were brilliant.”
travelweekly.co.uk
13 NOVEMBER 2025
11
PICTURES: Simon Wright Photography
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