In case you haven’t yet heard the threat of Mariah’s ‘All I want for Christmas is you’, Christmas is coming. And that means so too is 2024. For many agents, 2023 has been a great, but busy year. So how can we stay ahead of the curve?
We asked Peter Jones, Vice President of Retail for Bedsonline for Asia-Pacific. Jones shares insights into both the shifts in the travel industry and the strategies that can take your travel agency to new heights. Plus he gives us the lowdown on how agents can win a spot on a dream famil to Los Angeles!
From destination trends to the impact of flight credits, the rise of set jetting, and insider tips for travel agents, here’s what he says is in store for travel agents as we move into 2024.
The US is on the rise
Probably because of the costs of flights, lower capacity and obviously “the lack of commission that agents are earning on flights”, Bedsonline saw “a shift in what we’re selling in terms of the destination trends this year”, says Jones.
And this trend is set to continue into 2024. Jones notes that Europe, Asia, and domestic Australia were popular in 2023, but the US is poised to take the spotlight in the coming year.
He attributes the slow start in the US possibly to flight prices, while the Middle East and Europe saw quicker capacity increas
China’s visa boundaries
Since their borders opened, there’s been a lot of talk about how the travel landscape will change with the return of the Chinese traveller. Some have looked forward to an increase in flight capacity, while others have raised concerns about overcrowding at destinations.
However according to Jones, given that Chinese travellers are bound by visa restrictions, only some destinations will see the impact in the immediate future. Destinations like Singapore and Thailand, which have relaxed visa rules, are popular choices for Chinese travellers.
The impact of flight credits
Flight credits played a pivotal role in 2023 travel plans, says Jones.
“In a way, a lot of travellers almost didn’t have to think about probably the most expensive component of the holiday because they had a flight credit,” Jones tells Karryon.
“Credits actually allowed people to spend more and stay longer. That’s probably one of the biggest trends that we’ve seen this year. People who may have booked a four-star hotel previously, are now booking a five star and if they were going to Europe for two weeks, this time, they’ve gone for three.
“Credits have driven up the average booking spend on the land components. And we’re not seeing it slow down for next year.”
Experiences are driving travel desires
While flight credits may have now been spent, Jones thinks they’ve further created demand. And the pent up demand for travel after almost three years of closed borders is still there.
Those whose incomes weren’t impacted negatively by the pandemic bought things when they couldn’t travel. But Jones says, “I think people are kind of bored of the things now”.
“It’s all about experiences. So we’re seeing a huge increase in theme park bookings for instance.
“We work directly with all the major theme parks. Obviously, LA has been busy but people are also going to Orlando so they’re taking that extra trip and doing all the parks in Orlando. And we’re seeing the same in Japan. So that’s been a huge shift.”
Demand for “set jetting,” where travellers visit film and TV locations, is also surging, says Jones.
“It’s always been there. Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, but probably the biggest one now is White Lotus. So many people are basing their holiday decisions on one TV show and then building everything else around it.”
“And this is something that we try to encourage travel agents to think about. In most cases, the driver for the trip is the experience. And we’re trying to make sure agents have that product to sell to meet their clients’ desires.”
The power of Insights
One of Bedsonline’s standout tools is Insights, which provides travel agents with a wealth of data about trending destinations and booking patterns. This tool allows agents to see what destinations are currently popular, right down to the state level. Agents can explore trending destinations, average lead times for bookings, and more. Moreover, Insights empowers agents to generate their own branded marketing content, enhancing their social media presence and client outreach.
But Insights is not just a static tool, says Jones. It actively engages with travel agents. For instance, if a particular destination is trending among agents in a specific region, but a particular agent is not booking it, the tool sends a notification. This smart feature alerts agents to opportunities they might be missing out on, resulting in a high conversion rate for these notifications. Jones stresses that the wealth of information provided by Insights is often underutilised, making it a secret weapon for travel agents who embrace it.
Because it’s all about the agents
Bedsonline is a B2B brand, says Jones.
“We’re not competing for the same customer as an agent like some of our competitors are, so we need the agents to succeed and grow because that’s how we succeed and grow.”
In collaboration with LA Tourism, Universal Studios Hollywood and Delta Air Lines, Bedsonline has launched a huge booking incentive for its top bookers to join an amazing 5-day famil to Los Angeles + VIP visit to Universal Studios Hollywood in March next year.
There will also be bi-weekly US hampers given to agents, training events, webinars and much more! For your chance to win, simply book LA TMD hotels and Universal Studios Hollywood tickets on Bedsonline from 1 October – 31 Dec 2023!
We’ll keep you updated with more details to come!
