Operators must ditch ‘antiquated systems’
TravelMole Fast Conference Special: Tour operators must adapt their technology to survive, but that doesn’t just mean going online.
That was the message at Tuesday’s TravelMole Fast Conference. RWA business development director, Mark Bradbury was a panel member. He said operators need to look at technology to adapt, but that too many operators regarded this as just meaning the internet. “Tour operators will have to ask how long they can try to adapt an old system to the new market.”
Vic Darvey, general manager of holidayandmore.com, part of the Lastminute group, agreed: “Tour operators are dogged by antiquated systems and have very little consumer-driven content. It is not enough for consumers to make a buying decision on a holiday from a short sentence and a photograph of a villa.”
Another panel member and Tapestry Holidays managing director, Nick Wrightman agreed that technology could help his business, but he said recent experiments with pay-per-click had left him wondering what good it had done. “We must concentrate on selling the right holiday to the right client.”
In contrast Mr Darvey said Lastminute was moving away from promoting its brand in the public eye and spending more of its marketing budget on pay-per-click and search engine optimisation.
In the audience was Ash Sofat, joint chief executive of Somak Holidays. He said technology was key to offering clients the best deal every day. He worked with RWA to get a new reservations system.
“For us to be able to package deals offered by our suppliers – that come through on a daily basis from suppliers like British Airways and Emirates, we needed a reservation system that could price a package when a consumer asks for it.
“So in effect we are becoming the travel agent”.
The event in London was attended by top industry executives including representatives from Advantage Travel Centres, Wexas International, CAA, Lastminute.com, Hoseasons, Erna Low and Cendant.
It was the first in a series of hard-hitting debates on industry topics moderated by travel journalist and ex-Travel Weekly editor Jeremy Skidmore.
The next debate is on October 26 and is entitled: Niche is the Word: Specialise to Survive. Speakers lined up so far are representatives from Norwegian Coastal Voyage, Advantage Travel Centres and Travel UCD technology consultants. It is at 28 Portman Place. For more details go to https://www.travelmole.com/fastconferences.
The standard delegate fee is £99+VAT with a special £59+VAT delegate fee for operators and agents. Students can attend for £49+VAT.
You can register online, email [email protected] or telephone 020 7691 3292.
Ginny McGrath
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