Episode 4

The Valentine's Day-ish Episode

Author

IGNITOUR Team
February 16th, 2023

Written this week while trying to figure how many valentine’s day chocolates are enough to be called “lunch” but not enough to be called “a problem”❣️

[4 min read]

Expand Your Network

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Course Recommendation

This action-oriented course gives you the opportunity to learn about regional climate change impacts, sector-specific strategies to move towards a low-carbon future, explore these issues in depth and tailor your learning experience for one or more of the following regions: Latin America and Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, East Asia and Pacific, South Asia.

Show Me The Money!

This episode we’re introducing a new section of IGNITOUR that points you in the direction of funding you can apply for to pursue your next big thing. Whether seeking out a new professional venture, academic field of study, language immersion, or chasing international career goals, there may be funding for you!

The Humphrey Fellowship Program

The Humphrey Fellowship Program, a Fulbright Exchange, builds connections between foreign and U.S. leaders to advance solutions to the most pressing global challenges, from combating climate change, to protecting human rights, increasing access to education, and building global health security.

With a network of over 6,450 alumni, including heads of state, supreme court justices, mayors, governors, and leaders in diverse organizations, fellows are given access to a world of opportunity through this mid-career program.

Some highlights include:

  • Payment of tuition and fees at the assigned host university.

  • A living allowance, including a one-time settling-in allowance.

  • A Professional Development allowance for professional activities, such as field trips, professional visits, and conferences.

  • Air travel (international travel to and from the U.S. for the Program and domestic travel to required program events).

Learn more about the program, the main areas of focus, and check your country’s eligibility here ⤵️

Love Is In The Algorithm

With the recent explosion of artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT, announcements from the likes of Google and other big players about getting into the space and the ongoing news coverage, it is hard to imagine the future of tourism without such tools.

This week we connected with Chris Frnka, Integration Leader at FCM Travel responsible for Mexico and Latin America. In the role, Chris manages local and regional projects related to travel technology implementations, process updates, and is an active member of the FCM Global Operations Strategy Team driving global initiatives in Mexico and LATAM

Image c/o : Chris Frnka

With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, we wanted to get some insights into this latest AI craze, and so we asked:

What current human-led business functions do you think AI will replace in the travel industry?

“Unfortunately there is still so much outdated technology in use in the travel industry. And so there are great opportunities for AI to take over or improve simple transactions such as basic round trip or one-way flight transactions.

What will this look like for industry giants like FCM going forward?

In the medium term, I expect more TMC's (travel management companies) to improve chatbot technology to facilitate these transactions. In the long term, the traditional online booking tools which have dated user interfaces will have to adapt to this trend, likely by accepting requests in natural language.”

To learn more about Chris, his work, or FCM Travel, please connect with him on Linkedin:

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