Canadian travel agents holding own over internet
One in five Canadians uses a travel agent compared with 12% who purchase from a full-service travel Web site, according to the Online Travel study by TNS Canadian Facts.
Agents also held up well when asked about “satisfaction.”
Moe than one-third or 37% said they were fully satisfied with their online experience, one half said they were only “somewhat” satisfied. Another 10% were “decidedly unimpressed.”
The study made the National Post conclude “travel agents have proven to be far more resilient than they’ve been given credit for.”
Another study last year by the Travel Industry Association of America found 30% of Americans use the internet to get travel information, but substantially fewer consumers book travel online.
Canada’s 23,000 registered agents are increasingly refocusing their businesses to offer services that can’t be delivered electronically, said the Post.
“The serious operators have not only survived, they have thrived,” said Marc-Andrew Charlebois, president and CEO of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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