Adapt or die!

THE overriding theme
at Travolution was that
it’s not business as
usual for the travel industry.
A host of disrupters, rapidly
advancing technology and
increasingly knowledgeable
customers are putting
pressure on travel agents
to prove their value or lose
their relevance.
XL Travel Group ceo, Marco
Ciocchetti, urged members
to embrace technology,
adding that, if they didn’t,
they would not be around
much longer.
Customer experience
consultant, Lynn Baker,
spoke about the changing
face of the customer. She
said the battle for market
share would be won by those
who knew their customer
better. She pointed out that
while agents used to sit in
front of customers and build
a relationship, thanks to the
Internet, competitors can
get hold of them in a
moment and give them
everything they want.
According to Lynn,
customers are looking for
businesses they can trust,
especially in an age where
data security has become
so critical; businesses that
offer value by predicting
their needs and catering for
them, which can be done
leveraging big data; and
brands that provide a great
experience.
When agents provided real
value, travellers were less
inclined to question the
price, she said.