Business is booming for travel agencies and companies. Despite this, a new study has revealed that there is still a lot more work to do to fully earn the confidence of consumers. For starters, customers want travel businesses to get modern, but not at the expense of the human touch.
Commissioned by technology company Travelport, the study identified “multiple gaps” in the travel retail offering, “namely the lack of simplified experiences, easy support and transparency”.
In the study, entitled “What Consumers Want”, almost every respondent (93 per cent) said the best retailers make it easy to find the product(s) they want. This is particularly crucial for travel businesses given the countless components a single trip comprises.
The vast majority of consumers (90 per cent) crave transparency the most, meaning retailers must disclose the full details of products upfront. This can help save customers time and earn their trust.
In addition to this, more than half of respondents (59 per cent) said that getting exactly what they want is more important than how much they pay for it.
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The study also showed that consumers want more human-led customer support. According to the study, three in four customers prefer speaking with a human (via chat or phone) when something goes awry, with younger consumers (aged 18-41) actually wanting more human support (83 per cent) than their older counterparts (aged 42 and above).
Elkewhere, almost half (43 per cent) of respondents flagged the importance of easy refunds and exchanges, a similar number (40 per cent) want filtered options and nearly one in three (29%) want personalised offers.
Interestingly, most customers (60 per cent) said they would also opt for longer transport routes to their destination, while half (49 per cent) would choose to spend more to save on carbon emissions, proving how sustainability is front of mind for many.
Travel retail lagging?
“The travel industry is poised to build on the goodwill it earned during the pandemic by getting modern and giving consumers the simple, easy and supportive experience they expect,” Travelport Chief Marketing Officer Jen Catto said.
“According to new research commissioned by Travelport, customers prefer shopping in every other retailing sector over travel.
“Now that the industry is recovering, there is an enormous opportunity for travel brands to reinvest in their customer experiences, earning them customer loyalty while increasing their revenue simultaneously. It’s a win-win.”
The study took into account the opinions of 2,000 consumers across five countries including Australia.
