There was a short time a few years back, when it seemed as though the promise of unbeatable deals and convenience was drawing the public away from Travel Agents and towards the online booking world.
Jump forward six years and the attitude towards Travel Agents among the general public is quickly changing, for the better.
Perhaps it was those videos Travel Agents created in which they clapped back at online competition? Or maybe travellers saw a little of themselves in this mock Tigerair flight cancellations phone conversation?
Whatever it was, it’s doing wonders for the Travel Agent’s image, which has really shifted in the eye of the public over the last six years.
According to the 2017 Travel Insurance Index conducted by SureSave, travellers are beginning to trust Travel Agents again, so-much-so that nearly 74 percent of Australians see consultants as “their trusted source of travel and safety advice”, up from 57 percent in 2012.
More people understand that Travel Agents are the experts of all things travel, they get the travel lingo, they source the deals and they’re who you want backing you when something goes wrong. If you need more reasons as to why we loved Agents, click here for nine of them.
This shift in attitude has helped Travel Agents close the gap between themselves and OTAs with some 40 percent of Aussies booking through consultants, only two percent less than those booking online.
“[People are] genuinely seeking and value the level of knowledge and expertise that Agents offer.”
Ross McDonald, SureSave General Manager of Distribution
However, those booking through consultants aren’t doing so in the traditional ‘give me all your advice’ kind of way, instead their entering agencies more educated than ever before.
Uh ya, as expected, a whole lot of research is being done before seeing an Agent and working with the consultant they’re fine-tuning their holiday.
But don’t worry, when it comes to travel insurance some 86 percent of Australians said they learned of its benefits and importance through Travel Agents.
These conversations with consultants also contributed to 53 percent of people purchasing their travel insurance at the same time as booking their holiday, which is up significantly from 37 percent in 2012.
“In terms of ensuring that travellers are informed and well-prepared in advance of their holiday, the role of the Agent is crucial and is becoming more important each year,” McDonald said.
“We’re passionate about ensuring that Agents are well-equipped with the right information and tools so their customers are able to choose the travel insurance policy that’s right for them.”
Now that we know how the public feels about Agents in 2017, we’re still wondering whether they work harder than flight attendants.