CostSaver, the value division of Trafalgar, has introduced dynamic pricing on all its guided tours for 2018. The new ‘Ready to Go Rates’ are designed to provide travel agents with the best price at the moment of enquiry, creating an incentive for their clients to book sooner rather than later.
“Travel agents have told us their main pain point in 2017 has been that customers will ask a million questions about their holidays but fail to book. The travel agent will spend hours creating an itinerary and providing advice only to see the client turn around and book their trip somewhere else to just save a few rands,” says Theresa Szejwallo, md of The Travel Corporation.
As a result, Trafalgar has come up with a new model for doing business through its dynamic pricing strategy on all CostSaver trips. “We really want to put our travel agency partners first and make sure they are on an equal footing with the available online booking options,” says Theresa.
Through its dynamic pricing model, Trafalgar aims to create a sense of urgency amongst travellers and thereby give its travel agent partners a competitive advantage.
“If travellers don’t make the booking with the travel agent today, it could well be more expensive tomorrow, as rates will not go down,” says Theresa. She explains that travellers have three days to make a deposit after they make a booking if they want to lock in the rate.
