Factor in no-shows
ONE of the main reasons
suppliers have started
looking for alternatives
to workshops is the great
number of no-shows. Lindsay
explains: “The no-show rate
is actually disgusting – a
Seychelles roadshow this
year in Durban had 24
no-shows! Derek says he has
seen a no-show percentage
of between 30% and 40%,
despite sending regular
reminders out. He believes
the best attitude organisers
can have is to factor in the
no-show trend. Introducing
a no-show fee would be
ineffective, he says, as it is
unlikely that agents would
actually pay it.
According to Robyn, the
no-show trend is a general
malaise that burdens the
industry. “But perhaps one
of the more challenging
reasons is that an invitee
responds with every intention
of attending but on the day
is confronted with customer
crises and other unforeseen
circumstances that result in
a costly empty chair.”
Robyn says there is an
opportunity for TMCs to host
‘by appointment only’ access
to their consultants. This way
the agency is committed and
the supplier must deliver a
professional, informed and
relevant training forum.
She adds that effective
workshops are not the
beginning and end to
up-skilling the industry.
New formats gain strength
WHEREAS physical
workshops seem to be
in decline, the same
cannot be said of online
workshops. Linda van
der Pol, divisional head
of Travelinfo, says online
workshops are gaining
momentum. “Travelinfo
online workshops hosted
this year are on a par with
2013. However, we have
sold more and had to
delay eight workshops, so
if you compare sales we
are up by more than 35%.”
According to Linda,
online training is effective.
“Agents are pressed for
time; they can’t afford
to leave the office and
attend every supplier
workshop. Online training
is convenient and
self-paced.
The modules are concise
with the most important
info. It is an excellent way
for agents to familiarise
themselves with a product
or stay on top of product
changes.”
Sabre, too, has
recognised online training
as one of the most
successful methods for
travel training. Monique
Diez, head of sales for
the GDS in South Africa,
says online training
is expected to gain
popularity, particularly
as it remedies frequent
no-shows or training that
may not be sufficiently
customised. “Sabre, as
a tech company, focuses
mainly on online training: it
offers the benefit of being
available at any time, is
self-paced, and easy to
track, monitor and rate,
meaning more flexibility,
more accessibility, and
more customisation.
A part of a session
can be conducted or
refresh sessions can be
accessed.”
One-on-one training is
another educational format
that is on the increased.
Joanne Visagie says
Beachcomber is training
one or a handful of agents
face-to-face with the
various tools they have
on how to use their travel
agent portal. The venue
may be in-store, in a quiet
coffee shop, or another
chosen location, she says.
2015 training line up
FOR 2015, Development
and Training Strategies
(DTS) will offer a series
of courses in the fields
of skills training and
personal empowerment
as well as an eight-week
qualification in retail
travel, designed for
students keen to embark
on a career in a travel
agency or with an airline.
The Bedfordview-based
training centre has
been providing travel
industry training since
1991, offering both
scheduled courses and
in-house programmes
to all sectors of the
trade. It is an accredited
CATHSSETA training
provider and, where
applicable, aligns
scheduled courses
with CATHSSETA Unit
Standards.
DTS also offers the
flexibility of a travelling
classroom (including
computers linked to
Galileo, Amadeus
and Sabre) and has
conducted training in a
wide variety of African
countries.
According to directors
Dianne Smith and
Cheryll Watt, training is
kept relevant through a
learning needs analysis
and competency-based
learning frameworks
tailored to client’s needs.
Travelport accredited in SA
TRAVELPORT recently
announced that it had
secured industry accreditation
from CATHSSETA (Culture,
Arts, Tourism, Hospitality,
Sports Sector Education and
Training Authority).
The accreditation means
that travel agents in South
Africa will be able to send
their consultants for training
on Travelport’s Travel
Commerce Platform, which in
turn will help them to meet
regulatory requirements for
staff training and professional
development.
George Harb, md in
South Africa, Zambia and
Zimbabwe, commented: “We
are immensely proud of this
training accreditation as it will
have an immediate positive
impact on agents.”
Has travel lost its ‘sex appeal’ for new recruits?
THE travel industry is ‘not
as sexy’ as it used to
be for new recruits, says
Steve Barrass, md of
Gold Medal Travel Group,
who participated in a
panel debate at The Travel
Network Group conference
in the US recently. He
attributed this as the main
reason why it is becoming
harder to recruit the right
people in the travel industry.
Otto de Vries, Asata ceo,
believes one of the biggest
attractions of entering
the travel industry used
to be the opportunity to
travel. This has diminished
substantially over the years.
Otto says travel has
declined because airlines
are no longer providing
agents with easy access to
heavily discounted or free
tickets. “This is in contrast
to all other products and
services in the supply
chain, which still value the
travel agent distribution
channel and provide the
industry with opportunities
to experience their products
and services. In South
Africa some 80% of all
airline sales still happen
through the travel agency
sector.”
He also points to travel
agencies. “Travel agencies
are not investing enough
in their staff to allow them
to travel and experience
destinations, products
and services they are
expected to sell. This
could be rectified if travel
agencies did not place the
responsibility solely on the
suppliers to provide cheap
or free offerings. Travel
agencies have an obligation
and responsibility to ensure
their staff get to experience
travel.”
Kim Botti, director of Lee
Botti and Associates, says
as a national recruiter to the
travel industry for 37 years,
her agency has seen how
the ‘carrot’ that attracts
individuals to the industry
has changed over time. “It
is important that companies
ensure that they offer the
younger generation what
they feel is important, which
is not just financial reward
but also other aspects
like work environment,
recognition, being socially
responsible, and good
benefits and contributions
to a ‘greener’ environment.
The opportunity to travel is
still one of the reasons that
many new recruits still look
to enter this industry. ‘Real
experiences’ will always
encourage the passion and
desire to sell something
that has been experienced
personally.”
Kim adds that the lack
of internship opportunities
is also a huge problem
in the industry. “During
these tough times, tertiary
institutions no longer offer
internship opportunities as
businesses are no longer
willing. Without some
sort of practical work, it
makes it very difficult for
new graduates to secure
a job within the industry.
Eighty percent of the time,
practical experience is a
prerequisite for companies
looking to employ. This
makes most new recruits
despondent and, as a
result, they decide to pursue
alternative career choices.”
Jean Rymer, consultant
for Professional Career
Services, says that, besides
the lack of opportunities
to travel, work conditions
in the travel industry have
gone down over the years.
“Travel has always been an
industry that anyone could
succeed in as long as they
were willing to work hard. It
used to be a decent paying
industry but I don’t think the
salaries have really kept up
with inflation. Based on my
dealings with applicants,
they seem to be putting
in more hours than ever
before. There is more work,
the same or fewer staff to
do the job and companies
are expecting their pound
of flesh. I think in general
people in travel have
become despondent.”
According to Jean,
companies need to start
living up to promises they
make to staff. She says:
“Ensure there are enough
people to handle the
workload. In the majority of
cases people have become
just a number and I believe
the personal has to come
back into the industry.”
