I have now completed my first six weeks as the new general manager here at the Elite Travel Group.
I am really enjoying the challenge that this opportunity has given to me. Starting my travel career with Horizon back in 1981 I have many years within retail, tour operating and support industries to the travel trade. I have seen many changes over that time, companies have come and gone and the way people book holidays has changed. The one thing that hasn?t changed is the need to provide a high level of service to the customer and the need to adapt to an ever changing world.
The high street is experiencing many challenges with more people shopping online. Big city centre stores are closing and many streets in towns and cities have more and more empty premises as businesses fail to compete with the onslaught of the internet. The government has thrown a small lifeline in the recent budget with the business rate cut by one third for the smaller business but more needs to be done. Towns and cities and those businesses within them need to offer something different to give customers a reason to visit our towns and cities. This includes retail travel agents. I am delighted to visit our independent agents who are offering the customers something different and really becoming a vital part of the decision making process and booking journey. They can offer something the internet cannot do, personal experience and recommendations, a high level of service and tailoring a holiday to the needs of the customer.
Some of the Elite member shops I have visited have had a significant investment in them to help them stand out from the rest and become somewhere customers want to visit, all adding to the customer experience the internet cannot offer. However a good internet site and effective social strategy can work hand in hand with a retail travel agent to help attract those vital new customers.
The good news is that a recent report stated that millennials are looking more and more to travel professionals to plan their next luxury trips and the trade is adapting to meet these needs. It is very encouraging this group of future travellers are seeing the benefits of experience, good advice and high level of service.
A concern for the travel industry is of course the ?B word? and we leave the EU on March 29 next year. Hopefully a deal will be agreed this side of Christmas so that we can all continue to plan for the usually busy holiday booking period of January and February. If no deal is done then no one knows what effect this may have on holiday sales but we need to be ready. The one positive is that the British public will still want to go on holiday no matter what and hopefully the ?B effect? will be very minimal. Talking to the Elite members over the past few weeks there is increasing concern over some of the larger tour operators and the price difference on the web verses booking through a travel agent. This is not new but seems to be increasing. It is a shame that these operators do not see the vital role a travel agent can play when supported correctly and the years of support they have given to enable them to grow. Once this trust is broken it will be very difficult to regain. Members will switch to other operators and sales will be lost for these operators who undercut the price available to the travel agent. This is a great opportunity for those trade friendly operators to benefit and the trade needs to support them.
The independent travel agent has and will continue to face many challenges but those who adapt and provide the customer with that little bit extra will continue to go from strength to strength. I am so looking forward to working with our current and new Independent members over the coming years and facing the challenges we will face together.
