‘Adopt new technology at pace of your customers’
Benjamin Coren Travolution Summit, London
Travel companies need to adopt new technologies “at the pace of the customer” but not move too quickly for existing customers. Panellists at the Travolution
European Summit agreed the need for travel sellers to keep up with changing consumer behaviour, but warned moving too fast could alienate existing customers. James Clarke, UK general
manager at deals publisher Travelzoo, said: “Tere’s no point trying to atract new customers if you’re not looking aſter your current ones. “We recognise there are new
channels like Instagram and Facebook and, for us, when it comes to customer service it allows customers to contact us in many more ways. We want people to talk to us, so we can make changes.” Michael Edwards, Intrepid
Travel’s managing director for EMEA and the Americas, said the operator had seen a “300%-400% increase” in the use of live chat. “We’re a tour operator, not a
technology business,” he said. “We look at where our customer
base is in terms of technology and where we should invest. You adopt at
From left: Lee Hayhurst, Travolution; Ian Leonard, IBM; James Clarke, Travelzoo; and Matt West, Feefo
There’s no point
trying to attract new customers if you’re not looking after your current ones
the pace of the customer. You’ve got to get that blend and balance right.” Mat West, chief executive of
reviews site Feefo, said: “To suggest an older communication channel is dead isn’t the way. You have to make sure that you reach customers at the point they want to talk to you.” West stressed the importance
Uniworld to ‘elevate’ four more
of its vessels in next two years Uniworld has announced four more of its vessels will undergo revamps by 2021. River Duchess, River Empress, River Princess and River Queen will all be “elevated”, according to president Ellen Bettridge. The brand has previously announced plans to refurbish four other ships, with this week’s announcement meaning the entire Uniworld fleet will be transformed into Super Ships by 2021.
6 19 SEPTEMBER 2019
of creating multiple touchpoints, adding: “We are driven by what customers are asking for.” IBM head of travel and transport,
Ian Leonard, said companies needed to be prepared for interactions with customers to move between channels, as they may “start on WhatsApp and end on a live chat on a website”. Leonard said: “In live chat they
could start the conversation with a bot and seamlessly transition to a human without knowing.” News Corporation’s director
of emerging technology, Elena Corchero, said: “It’s about being omnipresent, so when people need you, you are there.”
Thomas Cook Tours seals deal
with specialist touring brands G Adventures and G Touring sister brands Just You and Travelsphere have been appointed to provide itineraries for Thomas Cook Tours. Three programmes put together by the operators will be white-labelled and sold through Thomas
Cook’s retail network of 500-plus stores. i Vote for your top touring brands, page 12
BA’s planned strike next week
set to affect 120,000 passengers A second round of pilot strikes at British Airways looks set to affect around 900 flights and 120,000 passengers. The planned September 27 strike follows industrial action on September 9-10. BA sent emails to customers last week to give “as much certainty as possible” as talks with pilots’ union Balpa continue in a row over pay, profit sharing and conditions.
travelweekly.co.uk
Abta counters post-Brexit fears with radio adverts
Abta has launched a consumer advertising campaign to counter fears surrounding post-Brexit travel. Te association will be pushing
its latest Brexit advice with adverts on radio stations Heart and Classic FM and on Facebook, highlighting that flights, ferries and trains will still operate even in the event of a no-deal exit on October 31. Te adverts, which began on
Tuesday, will run until September 26 with an expected reach of more than five million people. Te campaign addresses
questions the travelling public and businesses may have about how Brexit could affect their ability to visit the EU and follows confirmation that flights between the UK and EU will be unaffected until at least October 2020. Chief executive Mark Tanzer
said: “We want to help the public feel confident about booking
holidays and travel arrangements.” i Brexit advice: Business News, page 86
PICTURE: Phil Gammon
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