It’s a bit of a tongue twister, but preparing for your future clients today will help agents stay ahead of developing trends and sell more trips in the coming decades.
Speaking to KarryOn at an Amadeus function in Sydney last week, Managing Director of the Pacific, Tony Carter, said it may feel funny talking about future travellers but knowing what to expect is key to remaining relevant down the track.
That’s why Amadeus recently completed a white paper on the ‘future tribes‘ aka travellers in 2030 who are ‘very different’ from today’s holidaymakers.
They key difference between the two groups is that no longer will they be divided by demographics.
Baby boomers, Generation X, hipsters, solos, couples, families – those demographic divisions will have little meaning in around 15 years because people will grouped based on desires.
“Typically speaking, people segment travellers based on demographics e.g. senior travellers, younger travellers. But in the future we’re looking at behaviours, why people book and why it’s important to them.”
Tony Carter, Amadeus IT Pacific Managing Director
Future tribes include The Social Capital Seekers – the guys who that only travel to boost their online presence; The Cultural Purists – those that immerse themselves in their surrounds; and The Obligation Meeters – the ones that travel for a purpose and little pleasure. Just to name a few, click here for the rest.
But the group agents really need to get to know are The Simplicity Seekers. These guys are the ones that don’t want to handle the details of their holidays, they want everything organised for them by… consultants.
The type of traveller isn’t the only big change coming in the future. Social media, while it won’t completely control the way agents work and the way travellers book, it will play a big role.
You can already see this developing with agency groups such as SmartFlyer and TravelManagers placing an emphasis on training their agents in importance of digital networking.
“Future travellers will be booking through a number of ways. Depending on what’s important to them it could be through online, on their own or outsourcing to an agent,” Carter explained.
“But knowing all this will allow agents to prepare themselves and capitalise. There’s definitely room for agents in the future.”
Tony Carter, Amadeus IT Pacific Managing Director