PHOTO: Give your clients the ability to research travel from your own website.

The verdict is out: Travel agents are thriving despite the misreported death of the travel agent in times past when many brick-and-mortar agencies were closing their doors. How have travel agents evolved and managed to thrive amidst their once bleakly forecasted outlook? Successful travel agents have had to adapt to stay ahead of their customers’ wants and needs more than ever before. Find out some of the ways that Agent Studio is helping travel professionals to do just that.

Seeing the trends in the market and having to adapt is nothing new. Travel agents increasingly utilize social media and have a professional Web presence for their agency -- tactics that, even just several years ago, would have perhaps been foreign to many. But, is using social media and having a website with perhaps a few “deals” and some contact information what clients are looking for? Is this all that is needed to adapt in this fast-paced world?

According to Forbes magazine, “travelers who use agents still want hands-on involvement in researching their trips online.” Numerous studies have shown that an upward of 75 percent of travelers use the Web when researching travel plans. What does that mean for you as an agent? Having a website is beneficial, but giving clients information to research when they get there is key.

Clients desire and have come to expect more information in this day and age. With the advent of convenient and time-saving apps enabling travelers to have mobile boarding passes and the ability to hold relevant travel information at their finger tips, technology continues to reshape the face of travel. How can you as an agent thrive in this digital age and meet the evolving needs of your customers?

It’s simple: Keep your clients engaged and give them the option to research travel from your own website. Agent Studio has more than 600 destination guides that feature integrated Google maps, social media sharing functionality, and the latest travel news. These guides were designed to give customers the information they are looking for on their destinations of interest, while directing them back to their travel agents website.

Giving your clients relevant travel information reinforces your expertise as a travel advisor. “Rather than merely booking transactions or acting as order-takers, agents now function as travel advisers. They work collaboratively with clients to sort through vast amounts of information and make informed decisions, much like financial advisers assist clients in managing their money.” Forbes predicted the future of successful travel advisors to be those who get to know their clients personally and assist them in this manner.

Yet, with the decrease in face-to-face interaction, personally knowing and keeping engaged with all of your clients can be a real challenge. In response to this growing challenge, in early 2015, Agent Studio will be introducing a comprehensive marketing center. This marketing center is designed to help travel agents increase their engagement with their clients and therefore up their sales. Agent Studio’s exciting and innovative new marketing platform will put agents in the driver’s seat when managing their client relationships so they can ultimately achieve success.

In the marketing center, agents will have an array of options to help them manage and communicate with their client base. It will enable agents to file and categorize their clients as they wish. Agents can choose to separate their luxury cruising clients from their frequent business travelers, to families with kids. Choose one of the templates already created or use your Agent Studio site theme.

Agents will have the ability to send newsletters with their own custom content as well as with the functionality to schedule their send date, and then later track the results, all with a few clicks of the mouse! Imagine being able to create a Happy Holidays Newsletter with travel tips and perhaps a sneak peak offer of a spring getaway. It’s a great way to let clients know you are thinking of them and have their specific needs and interests in mind!

Let Agent Studio be your partner in success so your agency can stay ahead of the game amid the evolution of the digital marketplace. Call, chat, or email us today to find out why thousands of agencies are making the switch to Agent Studio!