Home is where the future is, says TravelManagers
American Express (AMEX) announced this week it is closing its remaining 20 travel agency offices in the United States. The company is moving to a model where the travel consultants in these offices will work from home.
In Australia, TravelManagers’ director Barry Mayo said he was not surprised by the move from AMEX.
He said it signalled that "continuing technology enhancements are contributing to cost efficiencies that make the future of certain types of bricks and mortar operations vulnerable".
TravelManagers is on the way to reaching the 500 personal travel manager milestone, which Mayo said was "a huge endorsement of its business model and position of being the only truly national mobile travel consultant host agency".
TravelManagers, like AMEX, supports its personal travel managers through a central support office providing technology, training, marketing, fares and ticketing as well as 24/7 access to mid and back-office processes.
In addition there is the local support of six state-based business partnership managers.
"This type of behind-the-scenes, central and local state-based support is crucial," says Mayo.
Mayo said this latest move by AMEX in the USA "further endorses this home-based evolution".
Ian Jarrett
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