Social skills take many forms A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Twenty years ago, live chat would have meant a conversation over the telephone or in person.
It might sound passé to the digital natives among you, but we are talking about a real, live chat with a human being. In the case of an agent, it would have involved the usual chit-chat, perhaps a bit of banter, leading to some sales talk and, with any luck, a nice chunky booking. As we all know, ‘live chat’ now means something different. And as
Hays Travel’s move to create a dedicated contact centre for enquiries of this nature shows (page 5), this is increasingly how many customers prefer to communicate with their travel agent, not just their friends. The company’s aim to grow this team is based on rapidly increasing demand from a “new breed” of client who prefers communicating
through platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Other agencies, such as Barrhead Travel, have been championing this approach in recent years and a growing number of homeworkers and smaller independents have, for some time, had success using social media as a lead generator. But traditionalists need not worry.
Of course, it is important – vital, even – that travel companies adapt and offer clients the chance to get in touch in different ways. But the likes of Hays still need staff – a “new breed” of travel agent, in fact – to communicate digitally with clients. And the pièce de résistance? The actual booking and payment is still taken over the phone. They might even have a ‘live’ chat in the process.
WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK
Flew to New York with Azamara to hear all about its new land programmes and meet up with my fellow Azamara Pursuit godmother!
Enjoyed a fun night out with my team mixing and shaking cocktails courtesy of the guys at The Travel Network Group!
Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group ISSUE 2,480
TRAVELWEEKLY.CO.UK 20 JUNE 2019 CONTENTS
Hays gets social 5of the
Agency recruits 48 digital sales consultants BEST record river cruise New tours, new name for Azamara
Street art tours: Instagram gold from Berlin to NY
Butlin’s family break at Bognor Regis
WIN FRONT COVER
New Hays recruits, from left: Danielle Hurst, Peter Whalen, Curtis
Knowles, Fiona Coates and John Raine
page 5 Photo: Stephen Hearne
NEWS Dom Rep hotels bid to reassure trade 4 River cruise sector hits record in 2018 4 Hays boosts social media sales team 5 EasyJet Holidays, InteleTravel Sri Lanka, Rachel Dawson
6 8
Special reports Azamara expands land programme 10 ITT Conference, Croatia
12
The Interview: Chris Townson, Uniworld 14 AAAs preview: Annabel Cove, DSD 16 Comment Gordon McCreadie: Winning at forex 18
NEWS YOU CAN USE Product
Cosmos, Neilson, Warner Leisure 21
operator Trafalgar, Arena Rail, Haven, Tucan, Rail Discoveries, Hoseasons, Exsus 22 Theme parks Efteling, PortAventura, SeaWorld
cruise Carnival, Crystal, Virgin Voyages
FOLLOW US: -@travelweekly
travelweekly.co.uk
27 28
/
Threw a roller- disco party for my daughter and 15 friends for her 10th birthday. And I didn’t break my arm!
FRONTLINE Get Social Overtourism, Venice, Mario Falcone 31 Agent diary Colin Burns, Hays Travel
a Day with… Not Just Travel HQ, Bournemouth
competitions Win a Butlin’s break, Toyota car
Mystery Shopper Exeter agents seek Malta holiday
32 36 40 44
DESTINATIONS cruise Mediterranean: Summer in the Med 46 Budapest: Avalon’s new excursions 52 Dutch Waterways: GRJ cruises
57
Expedition: Choosing the right one 65 Millennial Travel Cuba: New Intrepid tour tested Street Art: Five of the best tours
68 74
BUSINESS NEWS Asian Resilience Summit 2019, Nepal: Experts talk crises and recovery
travelweeklyuk ,
80 @travelweeklyuk 20 JUNE 2019 3
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