Advanced Technology Is Changing The Role Of Travel Agents In Travel Industry
Travel agents ignore technology and its potential impacts on the travel industry at your peril. Technology is rapidly changing the tools you use, how you interact with clients, and how clients do (or don’t) rely on you for their travel needs.
Clients are pretentious by the constant changes in the travel industry. Technology has already made it easier for travelers to book their reservations, search the web for gateway destinations, and check cost comparison for accommodation and travel through an application.
The competitive edge will probably go to the travel agents who capitalize on a travel agency to assist potential clients with the latest tech trends.
What’s changing?
Services to clients are increasingly focused and travel is becoming more experiential-based than destination-driven. Advanced technology trends are impacting the travel agency in several ways.
- Technology is providing the data required to assist agency managers to streamline their operations, improve revenues, and reduce costs.
- GDSs, high traffic travel websites, and start-up agencies can access similar flights and online hotel booking systems. This helps agents quickly filter travel options for their valued clients; it also enables travelers to do self-service booking independently of an agency.
- Customer service is now easier and cost-effective than ever before. Social media is a tool that enables small staff to handle a large number of inquiries, forward automated alerts to update travelers on delays and wait, and share relevant information.
- Even luggage tags have become part of increased efficiency. Tech-based luggage tags have tracking systems embedded in it that tracks the traveler’s luggage and send actual data via email, text message, and a special app.
- Gamification is not just a newer cost-management incentive program. It is another way technology is meeting travelers’ demands for the more enriched travel experience.
- Another interesting part is Augmented Reality (AR) that combines the physical world and virtual information.
Meeting potential challenges, using technology
With several technologies inundating the travel industry, it is difficult to select through the options and opportunities to find what will benefit even the most tech-savvy travel agents. Among the more important technologies, a travel agent must employ mobile technology, social media, and the human touch.
- Today’s tech-savvy agents must be mobile, able to use all devices – notebooks, tablets, and smartphones to connect with their clients.
- Social media is not fading away and as an industry writer suggested, travel agents need to get a personality. Social media is one of the significant tools employed by major businesses to build awareness and customer relationships.
- Finally, the human touch. No technology on earth replaces the importance of human touch. Analytics and computers can spout all manner of trending data but it takes the travel manager to use personalize each client’s travel.
