Community – the key to sanity

T HE COVID 19 pandemic and the years of flight disruptions that ensued proved to the trade the value of community networks. South African travel advisers now tell Travel News that the Middle East conflict has shown the industry once again that when geopolitics upend supply chains, software might be important in troubleshooting and risk mitigation, but it’s the community of industry peers that keeps agents sane. Speaking to ITCs and homeworkers, Travel News found common ground when it came to how agents create communities of support and how they maintain connections to help them through the tough times. “As an independent travel business owner working from home, there are days when the responsibility can feel overwhelming, especially during industry disruptions. When your clients are looking to you for answers and reassurance, you need a support system of your own,” said Emilene Rangayah, Director of Emilene’s Travel Services. “Travel is more than my business, it’s my passion. During difficult times, conversations with my community remind me why I chose this career. They keep me motivated, informed, and emotionally supported. Working from home doesn’t mean working alone.” Channels Agents use a variety of social media channels to stay up to date and in touch with their networks of colleagues and agent friends, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and internal host company channels. The rewards of feeling connected have become very important for many ITCs, contributing to their wellbeing while working from home. “My phone is never far away, and WhatsApp has become my greatest source of connection. I’m part of several travel industry groups where agents and suppliers share updates, help each other solve problems, celebrate successes and sometimes simply remind one another that we’re not facing these challenges alone,” said Rangayah, adding that LinkedIn, supplier webinars, industry newsletters and Facebook travel groups also played a part. “It’s often a simple WhatsApp message from another travel colleague saying, ‘Have you seen this?’ or ‘How are you coping?’ that makes the biggest difference.” Travel Manager at Checkout Travel, Holly Pereira, said her favourite channel was Facebook groups, such as Travelinfo’s OpenJaw. “I use OpenJaw daily, even though I do try and research for myself before I ask the question on the group. Through OpenJaw, I have connected with people that I haven’t met in person before,” explained Pereira, adding that she became particularly active during COVID. “Since COVID, I’ve used the channel to connect with people that are like- minded and I have leaned on them for advice and interpretation and to connect about similar experiences.” Pereira explained that her consortium’s head office also played a role in conveying a lot of essential information to their agents, however she found that it could be overwhelming. “That being said, the representatives at head office are so very helpful and you can have genuinely helpful conversations with them on WhatsApp, so you end up building a relationship with some of the representatives.” Glenda Ingram, Owner of West Beach Travel, also highlighted her head office’s curated newsletters, private communication platforms and WhatsApp groups, all of which assist her with staying in contact with her colleagues and the broader travel industry. Community COVID taught agents how to make connections online, however many agree that they established their community connections through years of experience and attendance at in-person events. Pereira said that, while she had met some contacts online, she had met a large number of agents and friends through in-person experiences such as educational trips and networking events. Rangayah added: “I’ve been fortunate to meet some incredible people through supplier workshops, travel expos, networking events, airline presentations, hotel visits and industry conferences. Every event became an opportunity to build genuine relationships rather than simply exchange business cards.” She said she took every opportunity to attend supplier functions, networking breakfasts, product launches, hotel site inspections and industry events. “For someone who works from home, these occasions are incredibly important not only for business but for my own wellbeing,” said Rangayah. “Nothing replaces sitting across the table from industry colleagues, sharing experiences over a cup of coffee, hearing.