Helping tourists make sense of cards abroad by Gino Ravaioli, chairperson of the DCC Forum
Many consumers make a conscious choice where they go to exchange cash before leaving for a trip abroad. They may well look at options available to them at a number of places on the high street; it might involve research online; alternatively they may choose to do this at the airport because it?s convenient and something they can take care of once they have safely checked in.
By contrast, what consumers don?t stop to check is the options available to them when using their card abroad.
Whilst neuroscience may be the new industry buzz word, the travel industry is falling short of truly understanding motivation, personalities and emotions and their impact on retaining and attracting new clients. According to cognitive neuroscientist and psychologist Dr Lynda Shaw concepts and techniques derived from brain research and psychology can play a crucial role in improving individual and business performance in the travel industry and, as a former air stewardess, she knows from first hand experience.
Achieving the highest return for your hotel is ultimately about driving costs down and increasing revenue. When it comes to marketing, this means spending as little as possible while reaching the largest audience of potential guests.
The cruise industry is undergoing significant changes, driven by evolving consumer expectations and the changing demographics of cruise holidaymakers. Recent research conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Amadeus revealed that there is a significant opportunity for travel agents and cruise providers to tap into a huge new market of holidaymakers.
Data analytics is disrupting industries left right and centre and travel is no exception. A whole new world of customer insight and information is being opened up for an industry with a notoriously challenging purchase cycle. Only those traditional travel agents with the most accurate information and digital nous will continue to thrive.
With the pound looking stronger than it has in seven years Cruise Nation looks at ways to take advantage of the positive forecast and reveals its money saving tips for travelling on a budget.
Customer loyalty schemes have a long history of successfully improving customer engagement and retention in the retail sector. As travel agencies already know bringing in new customers compared to retaining existing clients is far more costly. As such, there are lessons agencies can learn from the retail market on how, if executed well, loyalty schemes can increase your customer retention and significantly boost bottom-line profits.