There is still a very important role for travel agents, especially in the online space, but to survive they need to add value and depth for travellers.
This was one of the messages that emerged from the sixth annual eTourism Africa Summit in Cape Town on September 9 and 10.
Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, said, in a world of seven billion people, a third were already online – the majority of whom were from the developing world. “In Africa half a billion people are potentially connected to travel arrangements through mobile phones.” He added that it took Facebook only three-and-a-half years to reach 50 million users while radio took 38 years and television 12 years.
Because of this emphasis on technology, Damian Cook, ceo and founder of eTourism Frontiers, said it was absolutely critical that travel agents, tour operators and everyone in the travel sector remained up to date with the latest trends and innovations online, including social media.
“It is key that travel agents focus on niche areas or become an expert in a particular sector or destination. They need to be able to clearly show their insight, experience and expertise to remain viable.”
