He explains: “A consumer who goes on a


meta site is looking for something different to someone wanting a full package or to a corporate customer. The meta customer is probably interested in a simple price comparison. But a customer planning a honeymoon will be looking for a much more customised trip and will use a different interface. You will have different front offers and different applications depending on the type of customer. “There will be different interfaces. That does not mean these can’t be marketed under the same brand, but we see agencies creating multiple brands to relate to multiple niches. People will act on different priorities, choosing things differently as a family travelling with children or as a corporate traveller.”


Much of the process will be on mobile.


He says: “Because you have your phone with you, it has become your wallet. That does not mean other channels are not important. Maybe people will use a bigger screen to get inspired about what to buy.


“The concept of omni-channel guarantees


you get the same information in any channel – then let the consumer decide which to use for what.” He suggests: “The purchasing process will


have many moments. Probably, travellers will not make all decisions at the same time. They may book an airline seat, then think about the transfers a week before travel and


The role of aggregators will increase So does this mean the end of the ‘traditional GDS’? Valmorbida says: “It depends what you are referring to. If you mean the EDIFACT [electronic data exchange] standard, in 10 years we may see NDC transactions have completely taken over. That is a possibility. “But today there are 10,000 use cases for a GDS. Will people invest [enough] to replace all that? I believe two systems will co-exist. In banking you have different transaction systems working alongside one another. Systems stack instead of displacing one another. They co- exist like radio, TV and new media.


The more fragmented the market, the more opportunity we have to add value, to ensure that every customer has an offer in front of them that is appropriate


decide on their meal two days before flying. There will be multiple touchpoints. It’s an entirely new [booking] flow.”


“If you refer to the GDS as an aggregator,


it won’t mean the end of the GDS because we are reinventing it as a Live Travel Space. In 10 years, we’ll still have aggregators. As the industry fragments, the role of aggregators will increase. “Where you have thousands of choices and thousands of agencies now, you will have millions of choices and even more sellers and you will need to be there [present] in every device in every moment. “If you mean the GDS business model


where we receive a payment from an airline for providing their content to agencies, that is a normal business model to secure sales through third parties through hundreds of points of sale throughout the world. “It is one thing where an airline has a


big share of a market, but in a fragmented market where an airline does not have a big share the GDS will continue to be a natural solution rather than for an airline to have its own sales force. The GDS is a bundle of access for an airline. “We are indifferent to the type of


connection model with airlines. There may even be a new standard. We will be ready to integrate it.”


He insists: “I’m confident because our


eyes are on the traveller and travellers are asking to be able to source travel in multiple ways. It is a big opportunity. The more fragmented the market, the more opportunity we have to add value, to ensure


FIGURE 30: % PURCHASING HIGHER-VALUE PRODUCTS ONLINE: 2017 Purchased in last 3 months, % of all adults


%


10 20 30 40 50 60 70


0 61% EU 41% 29% 30% 31% 19% 32% 22% 5% €100 or more €100 - €499


7% 12% 5%


17% 4% 3% 3% €500 - €999 €1,000 or more Source: Eurostat


Germany France UK


%


20 40 60 80


0 €100 or more €1,000 or more Source: Eurostat 60% 62% 79% EU 55% 22% 9% 4% 5%


Germany France UK


% of all who purchased online in last 3 months


Travel Weekly Europe Report 2018 | 23


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