ChatGPT can help a travel agency prepare an itinerary, revise a sales proposal, analyze a document, or produce a first draft of content. But it doesn't know your contractual obligations, the latest terms and conditions, or the actual availability of your suppliers. Therefore, I propose a simple method: use AI as a preparation assistant, never as an uncontrolled source or as an independent advisor to the client.

Summary

ChatGPT is neither a GDS nor a travel advisor

ChatGPT is a conversational assistant developed by OpenAI. It can generate and rephrase texts, summarize documents, analyze certain files, perform web searches when the corresponding function is used, and respond to instructions formulated in natural language.

In a travel agency, these capabilities can speed up writing, documentation, or organizational tasks. However, they do not transform ChatGPT into a booking engine, a certified fare database, or an official source of information on travel formalities.

OpenAI itself acknowledges that ChatGPT can produce incorrect or misleading responses and recommends verifying important information. This limitation is particularly relevant in the tourism sector, where fares, flight frequencies, entry requirements, baggage allowances, and availability can change rapidly.

I therefore consider ChatGPT to be an extremely fast junior collaborator: it can prepare, compare, structure and reformulate, but its work must be reviewed by a competent person before being sent to the traveler.

According to both trade and general press, generative artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to automate some administrative and editorial tasks. However, the goal is not to replace the advisor. In a branch, value remains tied to listening skills, product knowledge, sales responsibility, and the ability to handle unforeseen circumstances.

ChatGPT in travel agencies can speed up the preparation of files, provided that the advisor retains verification and customer relationship.

What ChatGPT changes in concrete terms for an agency

The first change concerns the time spent staring at a blank page. An advisor can start with a file, notes, or a client brief to obtain an initial structure, which they will then revise.

The second aspect concerns the use of internal information. File functionalities allow users to ask ChatGPT to summarize a document, retrieve a passage, or extract specific information. Projects also allow users to group conversations, reference files, and reusable instructions.

The third concerns editorial consistency. An agency can define its writing rules, its tone, its legal precautions, its email formats and the information that must always be controlled.

The most significant change, however, remains organizational. To use ChatGPT effectively, the agency must decide what the tool can process, what data is prohibited, who verifies the output, and which sources are authoritative.

Eight truly useful applications in travel agencies

1. Transforming a client brief into specifications

A sales meeting often produces scattered notes: dates, budget, group composition, desired pace, areas of interest, dietary restrictions, comfort level or particular concerns.

ChatGPT can help transform these elements into a structured specification document. The consultant can ask it to identify missing information and prepare a list of follow-up questions.

However, I recommend anonymizing the brief. It is generally not necessary to provide the traveler's name, address, passport number, bank details, or medical information to structure a request.

Example prompt:

You are assisting a travel advisor. Using the anonymized brief below, create a specifications document including: traveler profile, constraints, priorities, points to confirm, and questions to ask before quoting. Do not invent any information. Clearly indicate any missing elements.

2. Prepare a first itinerary outline

ChatGPT can suggest an initial tour structure, taking into account duration, pace, and areas of interest. This framework can help the advisor explore several scenarios before consulting their suppliers and professional tools.

The proposal should never be sent as is. Travel times, opening days, connections, seasonality, and availability must be verified with reliable sources.

I would also ask ChatGPT to disclose its assumptions rather than concealing its uncertainties.

Example prompt:

Offers three possible itineraries for a ten-day tour of Sicily for a couple wishing to minimize hotel changes. No prices or availability information is provided. For each option, it outlines the advantages, limitations, and travel times that should be verified.

3. Write a more readable business proposal

A travel proposal can be technically accurate yet still difficult to understand. ChatGPT can rephrase an outline provided by the advisor, clarify the steps, and better highlight the program's benefits.

The tool must not add services not included in the quote, nor should it transform an option into a contractual obligation. I advise providing it with explicit instructions: do not invent anything and faithfully retain the inclusions, exclusions, and conditions.

Example prompt:

Rewrite this proposal in a friendly, concise, and professional style. Strictly retain the dates, hotels, services, prices, inclusions, and exclusions. Do not add any promises. Place the contractual information in a clearly identifiable section.

4. Prepare emails before and after the trip

Appointment confirmation, document request, deposit reminder, pre-departure message, satisfaction questionnaire: an agency uses many repetitive emails.

ChatGPT can generate templates that the team adapts to each case. The agency primarily benefits from increased consistency and reduces the risk of overlooking important information.

I recommend creating a library validated by management or the person responsible for compliance. Each template should contain clearly identified fields rather than automatically generated information.

Example prompt:

Write a pre-departure email using the verified information below. Use only the facts provided. Add fields in brackets where information is missing. Do not write any unsourced medical, legal, or regulatory advice.

5. Summarize supplier documents

OpenAI indicates that file upload functions can be used to summarize a document, extract specific information, or find passages devoted to a subject.

An agency can thus obtain an initial summary of a brochure, terms and conditions of sale, or sales presentation. However, the original document remains the definitive reference. An automated summary may omit an exception or misinterpret a clause.

For contractual documents, I would always ask the tool to indicate the pages or passages used, then I would check the important elements myself.

Example prompt:

Analyze this supplier document and note only the cancellation conditions, payment terms, application dates, and exclusions. For each piece of information, indicate the corresponding page. Do not provide legal advice.

6. Create marketing content without losing human expertise

ChatGPT can prepare a newsletter, an article, a LinkedIn post, a destination sheet, or several variations of an advertising hook.

The challenge is to avoid interchangeable content. An agency has no interest in publishing a generic description of Rome or Japan that resembles thousands of other texts.

I would always start with proprietary content: feedback from an advisor, a report from a scouting trip, customer questions, field photography, a selection of addresses or a comparison of products.

ChatGPT can then structure this material without replacing the agency's experience.

Example prompt:

Using our advisor's travel notes, write an article for families planning a trip to Japan. Use only the information contained in the notes. Highlight your own observations and indicate any information that needs updating.

7. Compare options according to defined criteria

ChatGPT can organize the information provided into a comparison table: two itineraries, several hotels, different room categories or several insurances.

The benefit lies not in an automatic recommendation, but in the ability to highlight differences according to criteria chosen by the advisor.

To avoid errors, I would provide validated data instead of asking ChatGPT to retrieve it from memory. When a web search is necessary, the sources and dates must be checked.

Example prompt:

Compare the three offers below based solely on the information provided. Use the following criteria: location, meal plan, transfers, cancellation policy, and total price. Indicate "not provided" when information is missing.

8. Build a structured internal assistant

Custom GPTs allow you to configure a version of ChatGPT for a specific use, with instructions, reference documents, and selected capabilities. Projects allow you to group exchanges and files around recurring work.

An agency might consider an internal assistant tasked with rewriting proposals, applying editorial guidelines, or retrieving procedures. This assistant should not be presented as an infallible source of truth.

Documents must be selected, kept up to date, and accessible only to authorized personnel. Responses must indicate which internal source was used when the issue is significant.

Example of a standing instruction:

You help the agency's advisors prepare their communications. You never invent rates, availability, formalities, or conditions. You primarily use documents validated in this space. When the answer is not available in the sources, you indicate that human verification is required.

What uses should be allowed, regulated, or prohibited?

Use	Recommended level	For what	Human control required
Rewrite an anonymized email	Allowed	Low-risk writing task if the facts are provided	Proofreading before sending
Structuring an anonymized client brief	Allowed	Help with organizing information	Advisor validation
Prepare a route outline	Box	Distances and constraints may be incorrect	Full verification
Summary of supplier terms	Box	A contractual exception may be omitted	Reading the original document
Search for entry formalities	Very tightly supervised	Regulatory and evolving information	Official source required
Recommend a treatment or a vaccine	Exclude	High-stakes medical advice	Referral to the appropriate authorities
Transmit passport data	Exclude by default	Sensitive personal data for the file	Dedicated internal procedure
Inventing a price or availability	Forbidden	Immediate commercial and contractual risk	Verification in business tools
Automatically send a response to the customer	Very tightly supervised	Risk of error or uncontrolled promise	Human validation as appropriate

The method for deploying ChatGPT without disrupting the agency

1. Start with three simple tasks

I would select low-risk and easily measurable uses: rewriting emails, summarizing internal notes, and creating content plans.

2. Draft a usage charter

The charter must specify the prohibited data, the authorized tools, the expected controls, and the situations in which AI should not be used.

3. Choosing the right environment

OpenAI states that, by default, business data from ChatGPT Business, ChatGPT Enterprise, and its API is not used to train its models. As offerings and their features evolve, agencies should review contractual terms, available settings, and their own obligations before choosing a plan.

On a personal account, data controls allow users to choose whether conversations can contribute to improving models. This does not exempt the company from applying its own privacy rules.

4. Train employees to provide context

A good prompt should clearly state the expected role, the desired result, the permitted information, the constraints, and the output format. It should also remind the tool to report what it doesn't know.

5. Impose a verification based on the level of risk

A social media post does not require the same level of scrutiny as visa information or a cancellation policy. The agency can define three levels: simple review, document verification, or validation by a manager.

6. Preserve authoritative sources

The GDS, the booking system, the supplier contract, the validated quote, and the official website of the relevant authority remain the primary sources of information. ChatGPT can help utilize them, but does not replace them.

7. Measure errors as much as time saved

I would track the number of pieces of content produced, preparation time, necessary corrections, detected errors, and team satisfaction. Rapid but frequently flawed usage does not translate into increased productivity.

8. Review procedures regularly

ChatGPT's features are evolving. Therefore, the settings, offers, and permitted uses must be reassessed. A charter written once and then forgotten is not sufficient.

Customer data requires special attention

The CNIL (French Data Protection Authority) reminds users that the use of personal data in an artificial intelligence system must comply with the GDPR and the rights of individuals. For an agency, this notably concerns identities, contact details, travel documents, dietary preferences, and sometimes health or mobility information.

I recommend applying a simple principle: only transmit to ChatGPT the information strictly necessary for the task.

To create a program for a family, the tool may need to know the number of adults and the ages of the children. It does not need their full names. To rewrite a claim, it may be helpful to know the timeline of events, but not necessarily the traveler's passport number.

Before any deployment, the agency must involve its data controller, its data protection officer (if applicable), or a qualified legal advisor. This article does not replace a legal analysis tailored to the company.

Questions that travel agencies are asking themselves

Can ChatGPT create a complete trip?

He can offer a framework, suggest steps, and structure a presentation. He cannot guarantee availability, prices, operational feasibility, or the conformity of the stay. The final arrangement remains the responsibility of the professional.

Can we ask him about the travel formalities?

ChatGPT can help search for or summarize information, but all formalities must be verified with an official source and according to the nationality, destination, transit and personal situation of the traveler.

Can a client folder be copied into ChatGPT?

I advise against it without a clear framework. The agency must first determine what data is needed, what environment is permitted, and what data protection rules apply. Anonymizing or reducing data should become standard practice.

Can ChatGPT respond directly to customers?

It's technically feasible in some systems, but the level of control must be high. An automated response can create expectations or spread misinformation. I would start with drafting assistance and human review.

Should you choose ChatGPT Business or Enterprise?

The choice depends on the number of users, administration needs, security requirements, integrations, and expected governance. ChatGPT Business is presented by OpenAI as a self-service offering for organizations with two or more users, while ChatGPT Enterprise offers more advanced administrative controls. Features and pricing should be reviewed before making a decision.

Example: a request for a tour in Japan

Imagine an agency receiving the following request: two adults and two teenagers want to spend two weeks in Japan during the spring break. They want to explore Tokyo, Kyoto, and a more rural area, with few hotel changes.

The advisor begins by removing names, contact details, and other unnecessary data. They then ask ChatGPT to structure the brief and identify any missing information: departure airports, budget, accommodation level, travel tolerance, interests, and any dietary restrictions.

Once he has received the answers, he requests three route options without pricing or availability. He uses these leads to prepare his own research using professional tools and with suppliers.

Once the program is validated, he provides ChatGPT with the exact details and asks them to prepare a commercial version. He then verifies each date, each route, each inclusion, and each condition before sending it.

Finally, he uses an approved template to write the accompanying message. ChatGPT participated in the preparation and formatting, but the advisor retained control over the selection, verification, and customer relationship.

This is precisely the use I advocate: AI accelerates intermediate tasks without transferring professional responsibility.

What needs to be put in place right now

Identify three low-risk, repetitive tasks.
Disable the entry of identifying customer data by default.
Create a usage charter common to the entire team.
Define the official sources that are authoritative.
Prepare five validated prompts for recurring uses.
Classify the productions according to their level of risk.
Require human validation before any important transmission.
Measure errors and corrections, not just speed.
Training teams to deal with limits and hallucinations.
Review the rules with each significant change in the tools.

The value of the advisor becomes even more apparent

ChatGPT can quickly produce a structure, a table, or an initial formulation. It doesn't know your client the way you do. It doesn't handle the sale, manage the urgency of the delivery, or take responsibility for the recommendation.

For me, the question isn't whether ChatGPT will replace travel agencies. It's about determining which agencies will be able to use it to reduce non-value-added tasks, better leverage their expertise, and dedicate more time to providing advice.

The winners will not be those who automate everything. They will be those who have defined the right boundary between machine and professional.

Do you already use ChatGPT in your agency? Share with the InfosTourisme.com editorial team the use cases that truly save you time, as well as any difficulties you've encountered. Your feedback will help inform our upcoming practical guides.

Updates

July 28, 2026: Initial publication. Verification of search, advanced search, file upload, Project, custom GPT functionalities and OpenAI's professional privacy policies. Verification of the recommendations of the CNIL and France Num on the use of generative artificial intelligence in business.