The surprising travel trend ditching AI for real experiences

Bob Gourley works with technology every day, but for a recent trip to Muscat, Oman, he went old school. Instead of booking his flights online, he hired a travel advisor. And instead of taking pictures on his phone, he used a 35 mm camera.

"I had 36 shots," said Gourley, who works for a computer security company in Washington, D.C. "I stopped more. I observed more."

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The result was a completely different trip than the one he's used to. Instead of taking an endless series of images for his social media feed, Gourley slowed down to enjoy the experience. His photos of the Grande Mosque were more contemplative. Having a travel advisor curate the trip made it less algorithmic and more, well, human. He saw more things that interested him, like the historic Mutrah Souq, and fell into fewer tourist traps.

In an era of AI-driven itineraries, a growing number of travelers are trading digital efficiency for analog adventures. By returning to film cameras, paper…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/travel/