Using AI to draft replies to travel enquiries

A reply that sounds like a robot usually started with a lazy prompt. The tool wasn't told who you are, who's asking or what you can actually offer, so it filled the gap with stock phrases.

Why drafts come out stiff

These tools learn from a huge body of writing, and many are first taught to predict the next word¹. Without guidance, the likeliest next word is the commonest one. Common phrasing is what makes a message feel generic.

The fix is to give it more to work with. Shaping the request you type is called prompt engineering². One review of research says results are highly sensitive to things like the order of examples, and to small changes in phrasing². A small change to your request can change the reply a lot. If a draft is off, rewrite the request before you rewrite the draft.

What to put in the request

A request that works tends to cover five things.

1. Who's writing. "A small agency owner who writes warmly and briefly."
2. Who's reading. A first-time cruise client, a couple planning a honeymoon, a parent organising a school trip.
3. What they asked. Paste the question itself, with the name and contact details taken out. Why that matters.
4. What you can say. Only facts you've confirmed: your usual process, the next step, when you'll get back to them.
5. What to avoid. "No prices, no promises about availability, no exclamation marks."

Examples are the fastest route to your own tone. Include a handful of replies you've sent before and ask the tool to write like them. Strip the names and booking references out first.

Keep prices and availability out of the draft

Enquiry replies tempt the tool to be helpful with specifics. It may offer a hotel name, a season or a rough cost to sound useful. Chatbots can slip believable falsehoods into their text³, and a made-up "from" price is exactly that.

Tell the tool to leave a clear placeholder, such as [PRICE TO CONFIRM], wherever a fact belongs. Then fill each placeholder from your supplier's current quote. Search for the square brackets before you send, so none is left behind.

Edit for a human voice

Read the draft aloud. Three quick changes help most.

• Delete the stock thank-you opener. Begin with the answer or the next step.
• Replace any phrase you'd never say across the desk.
• Add one detail only you'd know, such as how you handle changes or how quickly you usually reply. Only add what's true for your agency.

Keep the length close to what the question deserved. A two-line question rarely needs six paragraphs.

Questions the tool shouldn't answer

If an enquiry asks about entry rules, insurance cover, health matters or safety, don't let the tool answer it. Point the client to the official government source or the insurer, and say you can help with the booking side. A draft that sounds sure about these is a risk, not a help.

A small habit that pays off

Save the requests that gave you good replies. A short note with the tone, the placeholders and the "avoid" list is worth keeping next to your email templates. You'll rebuild it less often, and replies will stay consistent when different staff use it.

Whichever tool you use, you're the sender. Run a fact check first, as set out in the checking routine.