Summer Sun, check. Passport, check. Destination, check.
Tuesday, 01 Apr, 2010
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TravelMole guest comment by Amadeus UK managing director Tim Russell
It can’t have escaped your notice but isn’t it nice to see the days getting longer – and I enjoyed winding my clock forward!
I love those long summer evenings, something I actually missed when I was living in Australia and Thailand.
Because of this my thoughts are naturally turning to spring, summer and my next holiday.
During the darkest and coldest winter for some time, we are being bombarded by visions of white sandy beaches and more importantly discounts.
The question is, what demands should travel agents be expecting this summer?
Although there has been much said in the media about the UK coming out of the recession, the general feeling is still only one of muted optimism.
However, many people who have battened down the hatches recently may well be looking forward to their one treat of the year this summer.
In fact, whilst many of us will be willing to compromise on price, we will still see a week in the sun as a right, rather than a nice to have. Mixed signals for your high street agent.
A recent report by the Post Office highlights the top 10 cheapest destinations for British travellers. Converting pounds into local currency, the list is headed by Hungary, followed by Thailand, Bulgaria, Spain, Indonesia, Czech Republic, Kenya, Malaysia, Japan and Croatia.
A recent report by the Post Office highlights the top 10 cheapest destinations for British travellers. Converting pounds into local currency, the list is headed by Hungary, followed by Thailand, Bulgaria, Spain, Indonesia, Czech Republic, Kenya, Malaysia, Japan and Croatia.
Yes, Spain lagging in fourth position. What was once the stock holiday for us weather-beaten Brits now languishes behind new, young and vibrant Eastern European and Far-Eastern destinations.
This is actually something that Amadeus predicted last year in our Amateur Expert Traveller Report highlighting the new emerging destinations for the future holiday maker.
But what does this all mean for our high street travel providers?
To be honest, adding much value to a family holiday to Spain was always going to be hard for a travel agent.
To be honest, adding much value to a family holiday to Spain was always going to be hard for a travel agent.
But now travellers want to visit new and far-flung destinations, coupled with the fact that they will get better value for money while they are there, means that agents can help their customer to have holidays based around experiences.
The increasing acceptance of all-inclusive packages also means that there is real opportunity for agents to consult and market experiences. By doing so they will give clients the security of knowing exactly how much their trip will cost them as well as ensuring that they will have an amazing time while they are there.
Social networking and user generated content have been cited as drivers for this shift, as technology acts as a cultural leveller, opening up new parts of the world to the adventurous traveller.
Social networking and user generated content have been cited as drivers for this shift, as technology acts as a cultural leveller, opening up new parts of the world to the adventurous traveller.
As we roam further afield agents now have the opportunity to provide a layer of consultancy, information that you cannot get from the internet, to their customer base. A perfect way to drive loyalty in a competitive market.
When we travel we want to be treated like individuals. The good news is that businesses that are entrepreneurial and agile are best placed to exploit these trends.
As we see the rise of travel niches, both great and small UK businesses, if they are smart, could be set to reap the rewards of this eastern promise.
The cynical among us may ask, is there a downside to all this?
The cynical among us may ask, is there a downside to all this?
Well, it does mean that this new breed of Amateur-Expert Traveller is increasingly falling into the bracket of the ‘digital native’. They are more tech-savvy than ever before, they have more information at their fingertips, they are confident, they want the best deal and they don’t want to waste any time in getting it.
The good news is that the technology that is shaping their buying behaviour will also help us as an industry to meet their demands.
As we look to develop new tools for our customers, we are seeing the beginnings of mobile internet combining with social networking to enable travel companies to offer an improved trip experience for business and leisure travellers.
‘Fuzzy logic’ travel planning tools will make it easier for agents to develop holiday experiences that answer their clients’ needs and importantly, their imagination, rather than ones that happen to fall into the correct departure/arrival equation.
Social media is opening up an agent’s ability to converse with clients rather than purely sell to them and effectively engage with each other for the latest tips and advice.
Augmented reality tools and applications are developing to map user generated content on to locations all accessed through intuitive interfaces (you may have seen the very cool app for the Microsoft Surface, showcased by TravelTainment at the recent Travel Technology Europe).
There is even talk of virtual reality transforming the way in which agents can give clients a mini-adventure on the high street.
All in all, travel has never been a more exciting industry to work in and if agents can embrace this new era of technological innovation we will all be going on much more experiential holidays in the future, courtesy of our high street and online travel agents, or as I prefer to call them, travel retailers.
All in all, travel has never been a more exciting industry to work in and if agents can embrace this new era of technological innovation we will all be going on much more experiential holidays in the future, courtesy of our high street and online travel agents, or as I prefer to call them, travel retailers.
Phil Davies
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