NEWS


Sustainability is the hot topic as travel, at last, gets going again. Everything you read indicates


that greening our businesses is more important than ever. But how do we do it when we still have clients who like poring over glossy brochures and receiving luxury travel packs? At Haslemere Travel, we stopped stocking


Gemma Antrobus OWNER, HASLEMERE TRAVEL, AND CHAIR, AITO SPECIALIST TRAVEL AGENTS


We can all go greener by axing brochures and turning to videos


brochures 17 years ago. It was really radical – and slightly frightening – at the time, but we (and our customers) have adapted remarkably well to the change. One of the few things that the pandemic has


actually helped with is the dispatching of travel documents digitally. It may also have weaned quite a few tour operators off brochure production, although others are moving to undated brochures so they have a longer shelf life. As well as the sustainability angle, brochures


cost a lot to print – yet many are simply binned without delivering any revenue whatsoever. I empathise with fellow


travel agents who can’t quite wean themselves off using brochures as a sales crutch when they encounter a potential client who needs to be talked through a destination they’ve never visited. Personally, I think


For travel documents, mobile phone apps such


as Vamoos can be helpful for tech-savvy clients, but higher-spending or slightly older clients might not be comfortable with apps and might prefer hard copies of their documents. It’s best to check with each client personally


what they would prefer in order to offer the level of service support they seek. Of course, there is also the potential problem of network availability (or not!) in their holiday destination, which might necessitate printing, or data roaming costs.


Create wow factor Going back to brochures, however, my personal belief is that travel professionals who know their clients should be able to work without the need for brochures. There are endless YouTube videos of


“Videos – even


still photographs presented as video –


are hugely better than brochures at creating a wow factor”


the answer lies in becoming more like a consultant – and also in getting to know each of your clients better.


Tailor your offering If you have colleagues in your office, rather than working solo, it is probably slightly easier to share knowledge and personal recommendations – but many of us are working pretty much solo at present, or from home, which poses a bigger challenge. Don’t be afraid to arrange three-way calls


or Zoom meetings between the client, the tour operator and yourself. This is a great way to showcase the fantastic relationships you have with your suppliers, and also to remain an integral part of the conversation.


14 27 JANUARY 2022


destinations, and hotels in every destination will have their own promotional content. Videos – even still photographs presented as video – are hugely better than brochures at creating a wow factor, and they encourage the travel professional to interact with their client because they watch the video together. It also helps them


learn more about what that particular client likes, or not, which helps in securing the immediate sale and for


recommendations in the future. My belief is that video is the way forward,


and I would urge all travel companies to provide video of their wares, to help us as travel agents to support them. Video is more environmentally friendly and


enjoys a much longer life than brochures – the initial investment will be recouped speedily. Video is also a much more powerful sales


tool than brochures. So all in all, it’s a win for the client, for the travel agent, for the tour operator and for the environment.


Read more columns by Gemma Antrobus: go.travelweekly.co.uk/comment


travelweekly.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72