A recent survey of 5000 travelers by Travelport Worldwide (providers of distribution, technology, payment solutions for the travel and tourism industry) shared their thoughts and perspectives on getting back on the road after COVID-19. Some of their views were to be predicted but there were also some really surprising stats.
Travel agencies and travel consultants have played a key role as advisors and have managed daily the ever changing landscape during the coronavirus epidemic. Trusted advisors soon became facilitators and cancelation clerks as lockdowns became the norm across the world. Now that there is light at the end of the tunnel and people are keen to start traveling again the agencies and advisors priority now is to assure their clients that it is once again safe to travel.
From airports to transfers to hotels it is clear that travelers need to understand what safety protocols have been put in place every step of the journey to make them and their families feel safe. And it is imperative travel advisors communicate this as quickly and as effectively as possible. Travelers are also looking for continued flexibility and regular updates about the safety of destinations around the world. Combining all these points above will bring about a successful restoration in traveler confidence and ensure that recovery is quick.
Whilst airlines, railways, hotels, etc are responding to travelers needs let look at what this means for travel agencies and travel advisors.
The COVID-19 crisis has made agencies more valuable to travelers and this is highlighted in the statistics below:
- 33% of people are now more likely to book using a travel agent, with 82% being either more likely or the same as before.
- 65% say the information and insight agents can provide is their most crucial draw. This was mirrored by similar research with supply-side partners who confirmed that travel agencies will be instrumental in communicating their safety measures and policy updates.
- Almost a quarter (23%) of travelers are drawn to agents for their ability to change a ticket.
- 39% of young travelers (18 – 38 years) are now more likely to use a travel agency to book their trip, representing the biggest change. 34% of 39-54 year olds will do the same. This does not include the 44 – 48% of these age groups who already do so.
So based on the research it is key that travel advisors have a recovery strategy in place that drives recovery. Until a vaccine is in place safety measures are key to restoring confidence again and so one’s recovery strategy should include:
- Communicating on safety measures across all travel touchpoints – because this information changes frequently and from airline to airline, hotel to hotel, tools need to be in place to quickly find the information.
- Adding value by simplifying journey management – improving their operational efficiencies will help advisors deal with the huge volume of change requests as things open up. In addition, having access to information to navigate the ever changing situation and communicating the safety requirements back to their clients is crucial.
- Being prepared for a new era in travel – agencies need to operate with fewer resources until traveler numbers get back to their pre-COVID levels. This means that additional training is required to make it easier to get up and running again and to make up for business lost in the past few months. This also includes automating processes that requires fewer or no human interactions. Travelers are asking for more contactless processes so this meets that requirement.
- Identifying recovery markets and key commercial opportunities – be aware of survey studies and trend reports. In addition, other than manipulating your own sales data get access to government and industry data on where travelers can go and where they are headed. Lastly, booking platforms can provide weekly booking information to identify recovery trends and travel patterns.
- Driving demand through communication – travelers are opting for visiting family and friends first, so it is important that travel advisors focus their marketing and offers to suit them. Understanding the motivation for the trip will allow the advisor to better communicate what their journey is likely to look like.
Even with all of the above in place it is still clear that travelers expectations in this new travel world are that flexible and free cancellation policies are in place, as well as packages and services with a special insurance inclusion to cover cancellations at very short notice.
It will be interesting to see who reacts the fastest and makes the grade in the coming weeks and months. Who do you think that will be – the larger agencies or the smaller independent ones?
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