Start with the workflow, not the feature list
Map the journey from the first enquiry through research, itinerary design, supplier coordination, pricing, proposal approval and traveller delivery. The right platform should remove repeated hand-offs across documents, spreadsheets, inboxes and presentation tools.
The capabilities that matter most
For bespoke and specialist travel, the strongest evaluation criteria are connected rather than isolated.
- Flexible day-by-day itinerary planning
- Reusable destination, supplier and product knowledge
- Costing, margin and version control
- Client-ready proposals and mobile-friendly trip delivery
- Collaboration, permissions and an audit trail
- AI assistance with clear human review
- Export, integration and data portability
Questions to test in a demonstration
Use one realistic enquiry rather than a polished sample supplied by the vendor. Ask the team to revise dates, swap a supplier, update pricing, reuse previous knowledge and produce a client version. This reveals whether the system supports real work or only looks convincing in a demo.
Where AI should — and should not — help
AI can accelerate research, first drafts, content reuse and consistency checks. It should not silently invent supplier facts, prices or operational commitments. Travel consultants need source visibility, editing control and an approval step before anything reaches a client.
A sensible decision
Score the platform against time saved, consistency, adoption effort, data ownership and client experience. A smaller pilot with real itineraries is usually more informative than a long procurement checklist.