28 Feature INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT


Agents of change


In an ever-evolving tourism landscape, a new type of travel agent is emerging to provide expert service with a personal touch


As digital permeates every aspect of the travel industry, at each stage it has overhauled exist- ing booking models as prospective visitors plan trips in entirely new ways. From online booking and the smartphone revolution, to the rise of the review culture and the sharing economy, what initially seemed to spell bad news for the traditional notion of a travel agent, has in many ways come full circle. With so much informa- tion available, and in the search for quality over quantity, a new need has arisen to establish a personal connection. Travel trends analyst Skift notes in a recent report how, a few years back, the digital revolution saw travellers almost shun human interaction, yet today, the “extreme effects of a digital-led life” are taking their toll. “People are overwhelmed and all of this


has happened as tech as a differentiator for travel brands is becoming more of a hamster wheel, and increasingly becoming commod- itised,” the report says. Today, many retail travel agents are thriv-


ing, which clearly signals that despite rapid advances in technology, customers seek human


interaction when planning and booking their travel. In 2016, Skift researched the habits of ‘supertravellers’ – the early adopters of digi- tal – and found that these highly-connected, high-maintenance travellers “want the human- ity back in travel”. “They have more power in their iPhones


than most airlines had in a mainframe 30 years ago, but that doesn’t mean they want to be left to navigate this giant world all alone,” says the Skift analysis. “Travel brands should strive to understand


how the experiences they provide make trav- ellers feel. Travel is a huge investment of time and money; travellers will forget what compa- nies offer through tech, but they will never forget how these travel brands make them feel,” Skift adds. Derek Jones, UK Chief Executive at major


travel agency Der Touristik, says people are seeking happiness and comfort when making purchases like travel, referring to the Danish buzzword ‘hygge’ (roughly translated as ‘cosi- ness’), that’s used to describe the concept.


He says: “People are looking for hygge


moments – when you drink your morning coffee in your favourite café – that’s your hygge moment. The high street is not filling up with technology, it’s filling up with hygge, and that’s why agents are still thriving. Our product is the service we deliver. We are sell- ing the experience.” Jones stresses the importance of getting


the balance right between technology and face-to-face connections. “Technology matters to us when it improves


service, not when it gets in the way,” he explains, while warning agents to “be wary of technology if it reduces the opportunity for rich interaction”.


THE HUMAN TOUCH For most in the industry, the key to future success is a combination of the intelligent use of the latest technology, and a personal touch based on genuine expertise. Clare de Bono, Head of Product and


Innovation at travel tech firm Amadeus UK & Ireland, agrees that combining technological


approaches with human service will be a common theme for travel agents in the future. She says: “Some customers are ‘high touch’,


valuing human interaction, and enjoy being guided through the purchasing process; they are happy to use technology if it is in conjunc- tion with personal services. “Others are ‘low touch’, preferring to use


self-serve technology and requiring little or no interaction with travel agents. And some customers will have different preferences based on the type of trip they’re planning.” De Bono adds: “Agents need to differen-


tiate between the various customer require- ments and then determine the optimal mix of tech and human interaction. However, all agencies will need to embrace an omni-channel approach to ensure they reach their customers. “Now is the time to explore how new tech-


nology can be used. Technologies such as mobile devices, artificial intelligence (AI) and big data will continue to completely change the customer experience. Consumers will soon expect to visit an exotic beach without


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