Navigating Travel Plans: When Travel Advisors Can Take You Further Than AI

(Feature Impact) From comparing prices to dreaming up bucket-list destinations, artificial intelligence has become a starting point for millions of travelers who are turning to tech for early-stage planning.

However, travelers consistently emphasize the importance of having accessible expert support during the process. In fact, 96% of U.S. travelers said having access to a human for support is important when booking a vacation, according to a new survey commissioned by ALG Vacations, a leading provider of vacation packages to top global destinations, including 48% who said it’s “extremely” important.

Though 24% of survey respondents said the main way they use AI is for comparing prices or finding travel deals, 63% of Americans said they trust a travel advisor as much as or more than AI tools when planning a vacation, underscoring that AI alone is not enough for most U.S. travelers. Going beyond the planning phase, 77% of survey respondents said that even if they use AI for travel planning, they’re still likely to rely on a human to make final decisions, especially for booking, payment or resolving issues.

In honor of Travel Advisor Appreciation Month, consider these ways travelers can take advantage of the expertise of an advisor to get the most out of every trip.

Navigating Travel Uncertainty

Today’s travel landscape can feel unpredictable, from shifting policies to headlines that make things feel bigger or closer than they actually are, but that doesn’t mean travelers should avoid taking the trip; it just means they should plan smarter. Because 42% of travelers fear important details could be missed if relying entirely on AI to plan a trip, that’s where a travel advisor comes in to help separate what’s real from what’s just noise. This expertise allows for smarter, more confident decisions, and aids in choosing destinations that align with travelers’ current comfort levels.

Unlocking Added Value

Planning thoughtfully doesn’t mean spending more, it means getting more for the amount spent. Travel advisors often have access to exclusive perks and upgrades not directly available to consumers or pulled in by AI prompts, providing added value that goes beyond the cost of the vacation. In addition to added amenities, advisors’ insider recommendations can help match those perks to travelers’ preferences.

In fact, for vacations booked during the month of May, travelers can take advantage of The Great Getaway Savings Event from ALG Vacations, which features up to $950 in savings through a combination of instant savings, promo codes, air credits and group offers on trips to destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, the continental United States, Europe, Central America, Dominican Republic and the South Pacific.

Providing Protection and Peace of Mind

Modern travelers want options, and the ability to adjust plans, add protection or pivot when needed has become a top priority. A travel advisor can assist with adding that flexibility through travel protection that provides extra peace of mind – whether that means rebooking or changing plans if something comes up. At the end of the day, it’s about helping travelers feel prepared so they can relax and truly enjoy their vacations.

Stepping in When Things Go Awry

When trips become complex, multi-destination or disrupted by delays or cancellations, travelers are more likely to want a real person involved. In fact, 39% of survey respondents worry there will be no support if something goes wrong. If a flight is canceled or a resort overbooks, travelers aren’t stuck refreshing an app; they have an expert there every step of the way – before, during and after the trip – listening to them, learning about their preferences, advocating for them and providing guidance based on first-hand experience throughout the process.

For a one-stop-shop to help bring every stage of travel planning seamlessly together, visitTravelAdvisorsGetYouThere.com to find a travel advisor near you who can provide additional assistance with planning, booking and more.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock

SOURCE:

ALG Vacations

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Patrick M. Shober, NASA

New Meteor Shower

Across the Earth, every night, thousands of automated stargazers are waiting to take pictures of shooting stars. I am one of the scientists who study these meteors.

Most movies and news alerts focus on large asteroids that could destroy the Earth. And your phones notifies you every few months that an object nine washing machines wide is going to just narrowly skim past. However, the small dust and rubble that enter our atmosphere daily tell an equally interesting story.

My planetary science colleagues and I use camera observations of the night sky to better understand dust, car-sized asteroids and debris from comets in our solar system.

In a study published in March 2026, I searched through millions of meteor observations collected by all-sky camera networks based in Canada, Japan, California and Europe and found a small, recently formed cluster. The 282 meteors associated with this cluster tell the story of an asteroid that got a little too close to the Sun.

Meteor formation

When a sand-sized crumb of space rock hits our atmosphere, it heats up almost instantly, vaporizing its surface layer and turning it into an electrically charged gas. The whole fragment starts to glow — this is what we call a meteor. If the object is larger, like a boulder, and brighter, it’s called a bolide or a fireball. On average, these objects hit our atmosphere going over 15 miles per second. For small dust or sand-sized objects, the whole process lasts only a fraction of a second before they completely disappear.

Most of these sand-sized fragments in the solar system originate from comets – cold, icy objects from the outer reaches of the solar system. As comets pass by the Sun, their icy components turn to gas, releasing tons of dust. This is why comets are often called “dirty snowballs” and appear fuzzy in telescopic images.

Asteroids, on the other hand, are leftovers from the early solar system that formed closer to the Sun. They are dry and rocky, and do not have the same ices that give comets their characteristic tails.

What does it mean to be active?

Astronomers call an asteroid or comet “active” when it sheds dust, gas or larger fragments. This activity is caused by some external force on the object in space, like heat from the Sun, a small impact, or when asteroids spin too fast and fly apart.

Understanding and identifying activity helps scientists better understand how these objects change over time.

For comets, sublimation of ices – when solid ice turns directly into gas, skipping the liquid phase – is the primary culprit. However, for asteroids, the reason for activity can vary greatly.

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For example, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, which launched into space to study an asteroid named Bennu, saw activity from its surface, with heat stress and small impacts among the leading explanations.

Other sources for asteroid activity include breakup when an asteroid spins too fast, tidal forces ripping apart asteroids during close encounters with a planet, or gas release.

Researchers most commonly search for activity using telescopes. Astronomers can look for a “tail” or fuzziness around the object. This tail is a clear sign that there is gas and dust around the body. But there is another way to search for activity – meteor showers.

Finding hidden asteroids via meteor showers

The most famous active asteroid is 3200 Phaethon. It is the parent body of the Geminid meteor shower that occurs every year in mid-December. During past close approaches with the Sun, Phaethon released vast amounts of dust and larger fragments. These morsels of Phaethon have spread out along its entire orbit over time, leading to the present Geminid meteor stream.

Each meteor shower we observe occurs when the Earth passes through one of these debris streams. So if astronomers can detect meteor showers, they can also be used to find active objects in space.

At first, debris shed by an asteroid or comet travels closely together. Imagine squeezing a single drop of food dye into a moving stream of water: Initially, the dye stays in a tight, concentrated cloud. But as it flows, the water’s swirling currents pull at the dye, causing it to spread out and fade.

In space, the gravitational tugs from passing planets act like those currents. They pull on the individual meteor fragments in slightly different ways, causing the once-tight stream to gradually drift apart until it completely dilutes into the background dust of our solar system.

The discovery of a rock-comet

In a study published in March 2026 in the Astrophysical Journal, I used millions of observations of meteors to search for recent, unknown activity from asteroids near the Earth. I found one clear cluster of 282 meteors that stood out.

What makes this discovery so exciting is that we are essentially witnessing a hidden asteroid being baked to bits. This newly confirmed meteor stream follows an extreme orbit that plunges almost five times closer to the Sun than Earth does.

Based on how these meteors break apart when they hit our atmosphere, we can tell they are moderately fragile, but tougher than stuff from comets. This finding tells us that intense solar heat is literally cracking the asteroid’s surface, baking out trapped gases and causing it to crumble. This is likely a major source of past Phaethon activity and the main reason the meteorites on Earth are so diverse.

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The search for the source

Why does finding a hidden, crumbling asteroid matter? Meteor observations act as a uniquely sensitive probe that lets us study objects that are completely invisible to traditional telescopes.

Beyond solving astronomical mysteries, analyzing this debris helps us understand the physical evolution of asteroids and comets in our solar system. More importantly, it reveals hidden populations of near-Earth asteroids, which is vital information for planetary defense.

The new meteor shower’s parent asteroid remains elusive. However, NASA’s NEO Surveyor mission, launching in 2027, offers a promising solution. This space telescope, dedicated to planetary defense and the discovery of dark, hazardous, Sun-approaching asteroids, will be the ideal tool for searching for the shower’s origin.

Patrick M. Shober, Postdoctoral Fellow in Planetary Sciences, NASA

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Last Updated on April 10, 2026 by Daily News Staff

What’s Trending in Travel in 2026

(Feature Impact) After years of fast-paced itineraries and social media-inspired vacations, travelers are looking to slow down in 2026, instead focusing on more personal, immersive experiences.

That’s not to say Americans will be looking to travel any less – just more intentionally. Despite economic, political and cultural shifts, travel shows no signs of slowing down this year. In fact, according to a survey conducted on behalf of ALG Vacations, 100% of respondents plan to take a vacation in the next year, with 97% likely to travel for leisure in the next 6 months despite those concerns.

Even with tightened budgets, 95% of those surveyed would still travel – even if it meant scaling back. To help travelers zero in on what they’re looking to experience in 2026, working with a travel advisor when starting to plan that annual getaway can make the process easier.

Additional survey data shows 7 in 10 travelers are turning to professionals to plan their next trips with the younger generations leading the way; 83% of Gen Z and 78% of Millennials are likely to turn to a travel advisor for help with planning and booking.

“What’s really interesting is that travel advisors are resonating with a new wave of travelers,” said ALG Vacations’ Travel Advisor Champion Carson Kressley, the renowned style expert and world traveler best known for his role on “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and his current Emmy Award-winning judge role on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” “They want help uncovering hidden-gem destinations and great-value packages, and a new generation of advisors is meeting them exactly where they are.”

In addition to booking your next excursion with the assistance of a travel advisor, consider these trends Kressley identified for the year ahead.

Space and Privacy
In 2026, spaciousness is an expression of luxury – private villas, low-density boutique resorts and nature-framed hideaways where quiet feels curated and beauty isn’t shared with the masses. As travelers prioritize serenity over scene, this trend reflects an emotional need for clarity as they look for time to reset and environments that support genuine presence.

Immersion in Culture and Hyper-Local
Travelers desire authentic experiences shaped by local chefs, artisans and storytellers who bring a destination’s heritage to life. It’s no longer about observing culture from a distance; it’s about actively participating in it with the destination’s native citizens, reflecting a desire for meaning and perspective.

Longer, More Intentional Vacations
Instead of rushing through multiple destinations, travelers are embracing itineraries that allow them to breathe through longer stays and experiences that unfold naturally. From a lingering lunch to an unstructured afternoon, this shift toward savoring prioritizes depth and connection.

Transformational Wellness
As wellness continues to evolve into deeply personal territory, travelers seek experiences that restore mind, body and perspective such as sunrise rituals, nature-led healing, cultural wellness traditions and programs designed for renewal.

Screen-Inspired Destinations
Pop culture continues to influence travel, but today’s travelers seek more than filming locations. In 2026, they’re searching for dramatic landscapes, atmospheric architecture, richly layered cultures and experiences that evoke emotion and capture the feeling of their favorite cinematic worlds. This evolution of set-jetting is about stepping into a story rather than tracing its steps.

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Shared Multi-Generational Moments
Multi-generational travel is shifting toward more purpose-driven experiences – milestone celebrations, cultural reconnection trips and meaningful moments together. The emphasis is on togetherness, personalization and experiences that feel like legacy.

To learn more and start booking your next adventure, visit traveladvisorsgetyouthere.com.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock

Source: ALG Vacations

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.