What are the most pressing issues facing travel advisors in 2024?
Just some of the challenges include delivering stellar customer service amid an onslaught of business, higher prices and the prospect of suppliers pursuing direct business, they said.
Customer Service
“Since travel is more popular now than any other time in history, it’s becoming harder and harder for agents to catch up and deliver good customer service,” said Shane Lawrence, president of leisure sales at Imagine Travel Vacations.
“What we’ve decided to do is work from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. five days a week and also Saturdays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from January 2 until mid-April,” he said.
“I find that this year we have many more clients reaching out and expecting an immediate turnaround (same day) with answers, options, etc., and if we don’t get back to them ASAP, then they will just go find someone else,” said Ateet Ahuja, CEO and founder of Complete Getaways. “We’ve seen a huge influx of inquiries and some are just not willing to wait.”
Pricing, Minimum Lengths of Stay
“Clients are now looking for room rates and airfare to be lower and more like 2021/2022 pricing, which is not the case,” Ahuja said. “Travel has been really strong and the reality is that pricing is going to go up and not down.”
Furthermore, Ahuja said that some “resorts have implemented a minimum length of stays whereby all guests are required to stay longer during peak season or when the resort is at high occupancy.”
“This forces the clients to look at other resorts. Many of my customers are professionals (specifically doctors) who cannot afford to go for more than three nights. Imposing a four-night, five-night and seven-night minimum makes it a hard sell, especially since most of my clients are wedding guests for a destination wedding that we are handling.”
Travel advisor and happy clients. (Photo Credit: Dragana Gordic/Adobe Stock)
Direct Bookings
Kim Goldstein, president of Journeys Inc., said she is witnessing “a significant challenge arising from resorts aggressively pursuing direct business through extensive advertising campaigns and offering better deals than those available through tour operators or member rates.”
“These resorts seek our business, yet they restrict how and where we can book, creating many obstacles for travel advisors. Consequently, this may lead us to promote alternative products that do not have such constraints.”
Goldstein added, “Many of these resorts lack a comprehensive booking system capable of handling reservations, payments, airfare, travel insurance, tours and other essential aspects. Insufficient staffing often results in delays or difficulties in completing basic tasks and the absence of a 24/7 emergency line to handle air and hotel issues can cause serious service disruptions in the case of unforeseen issues.”
Airline Partnerships
“Part of my service to my clients, is providing air ticketing,” said Holly Lombardo, owner of Holly Lombardo Travel, an affiliate of Travel Experts. “American Airlines is taking steps that show that they no longer want to partner with travel agents. At some point soon, if American continues to take this path, we may see other US airlines follow suit, and I will be forced to no longer provide air ticketing.
“Not only will that impact the commission I earn from business-class international air, but it also means that I will no longer have access or control over a large segment of a client’s travels – which means the clients get less white-glove service.”
Travel advisor helping plan a trip. (Photo Credit: sebra/Adobe Stock)
Choosing the Right Suppliers
“Currently, I feel the most important issue in my agency is where to put our business. I am a true fan of the tour operator and I would prefer to use this channel to book my clients,” said Sarah Kline, president of Time For Travel.
“We are feeling the pressure to book directly and bypass the tour operator. Many hotels are offering better member rates, points, free transfers and other perks to book directly.
“Even the airlines are pressuring all to book directly or our clients will not get all the benefits. Our biggest competition used to be the online tour operators but now it is the hotels and airlines.”
Kline added, “The tour operator has been a trusted source for the professional travel agent community for many years and I hope will continue to be for many more. We’ve built relationships and trust that we have the support to assist our mutual clients. When we have to piece together all the components everyone loses.”
She noted that the closure of Gogo serves as “a glaring example of how this model isn’t what it used to be. The field is narrowing and that is never good for business. On the flip side, some tour operators who were traditionally sun-and-fun are now fully embracing the booming European market and beyond.”
Advisor Training
“Another pressing issue is the number of travel advisors who don’t have adequate training, which negatively impacts the reputation of those who do,” Goldstein said. “It has become so easy for someone to decide they want to be a travel advisor, yet many don’t dedicate the necessary time for training and invest in their business to learn the destinations properly. In order to be successful, these attributes are key. There should be stricter requirements for becoming an accredited travel advisor.”
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