THE future success of
travel agents lies in
their ability to foster
customer relationships.
Agents who participated
in a recent Asata survey,
highlighted this as the
most important ‘nonnegotiable’
skill for 21st
century travel agents.
A close second in the
top-five non-negotiable
skills was being a great
communicator, followed
by the ability to multitask,
being personable and
having expert destination
knowledge.
Otto de Vries, Asata
ceo, says: “This has
become a consumer-driven
industry. The customer is
savvy and informed. Our
role has changed and has
to be clearly defined and
promoted to show the
value proposition for a
customer when engaging a
professional travel agent.”
The days of travel
agents’ fear of the
Internet appear to have
passed. Over half of
respondents say they
“couldn’t work without”
the Internet and 42% say
it enhances their skills.
Travel agents confirm
that they use the
Internet to find
destination information,
accommodation reviews
and read up on travel
news and trends. They do,
however, recognise the
potential for customers
to go online and book
their travel, with over 60%
saying their top priority
must be to become travel
experts and convince
customers that they’re
better than the Internet.
TNW approached travel
industry leaders to gauge
their opinion on what
it takes to be a 21st
century travel agent.
eTravel ceo, Garth
Wolff, says for him,
communication is indeed
the one non-negotiable
skill a travel agent of
the future needs to
have. “Travellers want
instant information and a
professional ITC needs to
use the web to beat the
web by knowing everything
that the Internet can
offer but be able to
deliver the info in a
personal and professional
way. It then all boils
down to exceptional
communication skills!”
Not all agents agree
with the top-five attributes
that Asata came up with.
“Of course, all the skills
listed in the Asata survey
are a very important part
of doing business. I do
think, however, that travel
agents need to realise
that those skills are not
‘special’ any more. They
are foundation level skills
that should be part of
doing business every day,”
says Rachael Penaluna,
business manager at Sure
Maritime Travel.
According to Rachael,
to make it in the 21st
century, travel agents
need to have a better
understanding of how
their business works and
how much it has changed
in the last 10 years.
“Travel managers need to
be business-minded and
pass that message on to
their clients. For example,
bill-backs on any service
are bad for business.
They reduce cash flow and
maximise risk. Do your
clients understand how
the Iata bonding process
works? The more ‘liable’
an agency is, the higher
its bond will be. More
often than not, when you
explain it to a client, who
is also managing cash
flow and risk in their
own business – they will
respect you more and
come to the party.”
For Rian Bornman, md
of Flight Site, adaptability
is a key attribute for any
future travel agent. “To
justify a fee, today’s travel
agent needs to adapt to
customers’ requirements
and, like Google, know
what customers want
before they do. Imagine if
agents used the business
intelligence, now readily
available in all forms of
data generated on a daily
basis, to learn what a
customer’s expectations
were and then offered a
bespoke travel product
to them, before they
asked. This is what will
differentiate agents in
future.”
Wally Gaynor, Club Travel
md, agrees with Rian and
says one of the most
important skills a travel
agent of the future needs
to have is the ability to
source and recommend
suppliers and products
that offer exceptional
value and customer
experience.
Franz Von Wielligh,
Flight Specials gm, feels
that travel agents need to
become solution advisers,
both for the corporate and
leisure client. Therefore,
Franz highlights emotional
intelligence as the one
non-negotiable skill. “We
have to understand in
what emotional state our
clients are when they are
making their purchasing
decision. We need to have
the empathy to relate to
the circumstances, but
also have a sober mind in
determining their specific
needs and marry the
appropriate product to
them.”
Rod Rutter, coo of
XL Travel, agrees that,
although all the skills
mentioned in the Asata
survey are important,
the one non-negotiable
skill for the agent
of the future is to
thoroughly understand
the personality and
requirements of the client.
He adds that the use
of technology can also
not be underestimated
in the 21st century and
agents should not become
complacent when it comes
to innovating and joining
the mobile revolution.
“Our times are changing
fast and we need to
change.”
For Sean Hough, ceo
of Pentravel, it’s more
about values than skills.
“Different people have
different strengths and it’s
difficult to say that if you
are more charming you
will be more successful
than an individual who
focuses on efficiency. You
need a combination of
skills to be successful,
but without passion, you
won’t succeed.”
Geraldine Boshoff,
marketing manager for
Sure Travel, agrees and
says the industry needs to
employ people with talent.
“Talented people are
those individuals who will
learn anything to succeed
and have the ability to
embrace change. I see
the 21st-century travel
adviser as a person who
will consult with a client,
corporate or leisure, in
such a unique way that
they are in awe of the
buying experience.”
