Travel advisors have never had more information at their fingertips. But according to Nicole O’Sullivan, managing director of Birds Eye View Consulting and travel industry expert, knowledge isn’t the industry’s biggest challenge right now; it’s connection.
Drawing on countless mystery audits and close work with sales teams, O’Sullivan says too many customer conversations are becoming transactional rather than personal, especially as AI reshapes how travellers research and book trips.
“From my perspective, the biggest gap in the industry right now isn’t product knowledge, it’s connection,” she tells Karryon in an interview.
According to O’Sullivan, most consultants still sound “professional and knowledgeable”, but conversations often remain stuck on “logistics”.
“There’s a lot of focus on logistics like dates, destinations and budget, but not enough time spent understanding what actually matters to the customer or why they’re travelling in the first place,” she remarks.
That disconnect can have serious consequences for travel advisors competing against direct booking channels and AI-powered tools.
“Customers aren’t walking away because they didn’t get the right option, they’re walking away because they didn’t feel understood… or what was presented simply didn’t feel right,” says O’Sullivan, a former Flight Centre and Cruiseabout leader.
In reality, Nicole believes many consultants have been trained to collect information without fully interpreting it or confidently guiding clients towards decisions.
“We’ve taught teams how to collect answers, but not how to truly understand them,” she suggests.
In some instances, O’Sullivan says interactions now feel closer to dealing with an automated system than with a travel expert.
“In many cases, the experience feels no different to interacting with a system. [They have] structured questions, minimal curiosity and then [ask customers] to go away and ‘have a think’,” she explains.
Bots vs bonds
One mystery audit particularly stood out.
“In fact, in one recent experience, I was encouraged to go and use Copilot to build my own itinerary and email it through for pricing without any attempt to understand my trip or even capture my details.”
For O’Sullivan, that reflects a wider issue emerging across the sector as AI tools become more common.
“That’s not a service gap, that’s a connection gap,” she says.
She also believes some advisors may be prioritising enquiries based on potential commission returns rather than customer needs.
Importantly, O’Sullivan doesn’t see this as a lead-generation issue.
“The industry doesn’t have a lead problem, it has a conversation problem,” she remarks.
She believes the advisors standing out today are the ones slowing conversations down, listening carefully and offering clear, confident recommendations.
“With AI becoming more prominent, this becomes even more important,” O’Sullivan adds.
“Information is easy to access. What’s not easy to replicate is genuine human understanding and the ability to make someone feel confident in their decision.
“Customers don’t always want someone with all the answers; they want to feel like someone actually cares about getting it right for them. That’s where the real value sits moving forward.”
KARRYON UNPACKS: As AI floods travel with instant answers, Nicole O’Sullivan’s warning feels timely. Travel advisors who create genuine connections, not just itineraries, may become the industry’s most valuable differentiator.
