The travel industry should expect “a year of uncertainty” in 2025, with geopolitical turbulence, supply chain fragility and technology disruption redefining the role of the travel agent. This is according to Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, Principal of T2Impact, speaking at the Asata Conference held last week at the Arabella Hotel, Golf & Spa in the Western Cape.
A turbulent global picture
“Demand is strong but uneven by region and segment; recovery waves don’t line up,” said O’Neil-Dunne. “Geopolitics and elections are whipsawing routes, risk maps and insurance costs. Currency volatility and sticky inflation keep total trip costs unpredictable.”
He added that, on the supply side, particularly in terms of air, schedules often looked healthy months in advance, but thinned out closer to travel. “Hotels and restaurants face staffing gaps, tours and attractions use tighter inventory controls. Last minute is riskier than ever.”
He warned that agents needed to plan for turbulence. “Price agility and the ability to requote faster will win in 2025.”
In light of this, O’Neil-Dunne said the role of the travel agent was shifting from “booking clerk to risk, payments and content orchestrator”. “Fee models are evolving – subscriptions, retainers and outcome-based tiers. Duty of care, visa support, trip governance and fintech – these aren’t add-ons any more – they’re the service.”
NDC and the rise of OOSD
During the presentation, O’Neil-Dunne shared the results from Asata’s recent NDC survey, which included:
- 65% rate NDC as poor or worse
- 78% say workflows are more complex
- 68% feel forced into adoption
- 82% want a unified platform.
“NDC was a promise and I believe wholeheartedly that we need to fix some of these broken, archaic technologies. EDIFACT messaging is based on telex, which is 105 years old. GDSs are moving slowly – they are getting better, but are not perfect. The tools are fragmented and inconsistent.”
He warned that OOSD – Offer, Order, Settle, Deliver – would soon dominate the conversation. “In my view, it’s missing an ‘S’ – Service – because you as agents are left to handle the post-sale chaos. There is no consistent tooling and airlines expect service without the necessary support.”
Dark days ahead
He urged agencies to rethink their business models. “Build your own tech stack – this is going to be hard for everybody because it is expensive.” He also said agents needed to invest in CRM system to get a better handle on their customer. “Your job is to go from a reseller to a real seller – think about packaging creatively. Use data and CRM to personalise, because you can do that, machines are not so good at it.
“What can’t be replaced – invest in what can’t be replaced: human insight, negotiation and supplier management, emergency handling, customer advocacy. You are the customer’s advocate.
“Reclaim the narrative – the GDSs won’t save you, airlines won’t prioritise you. This is your moment to build, not beg. You are not passengers, you are co-pilots. This is not the end of travel agents – this is the rebirth if we act. Demand those tools, collaborate and shift the future of travel retail,” said O’Neil-Dunne.
