Travel Agents in India Turn to AI as Kolkata Convention Opens 69th Edition

Travel agents from across India gathered in Kolkata this week for the 69th convention of the Travel Agents Association of India, an event that returned to the city after 22 years and coincides with the organization's 75th year. The three-day meeting, held at the ITC Royal Bengal from October 25 to 27 under the theme Empowering Evolution, put artificial intelligence at the center of discussions on how agencies stay competitive.

The setting reflects pressure building across the travel trade. Agencies face faster service expectations, thinner margins and shifting customer behavior, and the convention program was built around how they can respond. Association president Sunil Kumar Rumalla said technology adoption is no longer optional for agencies that want to deliver speed, accuracy and personalized service, and he confirmed that a dedicated session will explain how to use AI effectively in customer service.

Itineraries in Minutes

For many travel agents, the change is already visible in daily work. Anjani Dhanuka, who chairs the association's eastern region, said staff once needed four to five days to draft an itinerary, while the same task now takes minutes. He described AI as a benefit for agencies that struggle to recruit knowledgeable manpower, a comment that points to a persistent skills gap in the sector.

The convention agenda also covers the limits of automation. Organizers expect speakers to address data accuracy, overdependence on automated tools, customer privacy and staff reskilling, along with the need to keep human judgment in complex trip planning. The stated aim is for AI to strengthen rather than replace the role of travel agents, with value added through curated advice, disruption management, visa and documentation support, destination knowledge and personal service for families, corporate clients and high-value travelers.

Industry Turnout and Skills Focus

Around 650 delegates registered from across the country, including 75 members from Kolkata, and more than 20 airlines and over 20 hotel chains are participating. The scale of the gathering underlines how many jobs and businesses depend on intermediated travel, from counter staff and ticketing teams to tour managers and corporate travel coordinators. The association's vice-president, Bettaiah Lokesh, addressed the international dimension of the program.

The jobs message is likely to resonate beyond the convention hall. As booking platforms give consumers more direct options, the case for skilled travel agents rests on tasks that software handles poorly, such as recovering from cancellations, matching documentation to destination rules and tailoring trips to specific groups. That shifts the training priority toward destination knowledge, problem solving and client communication, while routine itinerary assembly becomes largely automated.

What to Watch

The association's 75th year gives the meeting a longer frame. The organization is presenting the convention as a platform for adapting to changing customer expectations, emerging technologies and evolving business models, and it is using the Kolkata gathering to showcase West Bengal's tourism potential. How many agencies adopt the tools discussed this week, and whether they pair adoption with staff training, will shape hiring patterns in the trade over the coming year.

Two indicators are worth tracking. The first is whether travel trade bodies publish guidance on AI use, particularly on data accuracy and privacy, since agencies handling passport and payment details face clear liability risks. The second is whether employers begin listing AI literacy alongside destination knowledge in job requirements for travel consultants and tour operations roles. Delegates leave Kolkata on October 27 with sessions complete, and the sector's next test will be whether the efficiency gains translate into steadier margins and more stable employment.

For working adults in the sector, the practical effect is a change in what the job demands. Routine drafting is being compressed, while judgment, currency of destination information and the ability to manage disruption carry more weight. Analysts in the trade argue that agencies which invest in those capabilities will defend their share of bookings against direct online channels, while those that treat automation purely as a cost cut risk losing the personal service that justifies their fees.