What Travel Advisors Should Do To Stay Connected to Travelers
The expansion of online and travel agency services continually transforms the travel industry. Online booking services started taking over the industry in 1995 when the Internet Travel Network (ITN) oversaw the first airline ticket booking over the World Wide Web. Since then, Microsoft released Expedia, TripAdvisor, Kayak, Priceline, Airbnb, and hundreds of other sites that have made travel a lot easier for consumers. Unfortunately, travel advisors have had to keep up.
Consumers are now demanding more of their travel advisors and travel agency services than ever before. If your travel business hopes to offer exclusive benefits to its clients, it must stay ahead of the game. One way you can do this is by understanding your traveler. The best way to know what your client needs before they ask is by looking at what they are searching for online.
The Traveler’s Search History
If there is one thing the Internet does well, it is knowing how to use all the information gathered through their site in their next business venture. After years of slowly working their way into the travel industry, user-oriented services are now taking over the entire travel booking game. Rather than shaking your head at the takeover, you can use these services as a great reflection tool.
For example, travel service providers are expanding their travel offerings to now include hotel booking services, flight ticketing, and an entire trip planning feature. Ask yourself, if your client can get all of this online, how are you going to take the next step? What can you offer that the Internet can’t? How can you work with your clients to personalize their trip in a way that no computerized site can?
Along with the Internet’s recent moves, make sure you stay ahead of your other competition. Rework your business to include specialties that your competitors lack. You should also make sure that you are offering all the essential services of your competitors, as well as developing other exclusive processes. Continually push yourself to do better, and you will see the clients naturally start rolling in.
The Traveler’s Trend Process
While many travel advisors aren’t sure what to think of big businesses moving in on the industry, it has dramatically helped in chronicling consumer behavior. Just as search engines use consumer behavior to develop new products, you can use these moments to shape your business strategy.
For example, 94% of leisure travelers switch between devices as they plan or book a trip. Knowing this statistic, you are better equipped to market to your ideal client. Since they use multiple methods, your site should be compatible with all devices. You should also be available on a multitude of platforms (social media, website, travel sites, etc.).
If you are taking your travel advisory business to the next level, you can also consider running online advertisements. According to statistics, when it comes to travelers looking to book a hotel, nearly half of Google Hotel Ads referrals come from smartphones, and the number is growing by almost 2.4X year on year.
By conducting research and surrounding yourself with travel experts, you can better understand the upcoming movements and trends in the industry. You can then use this knowledge to better your business and your client’s travel plans.
The Traveler’s Booking Process
Getting involved in the online travel community can pay off dividends for your business. Not only can you get advice on how to serve your travelers better, but you can better understand how a user flows down the booking stream.
For example, clickstream data from Luth Research’s opt-in panel featured on Think with Google provides an inside look at how a real traveler goes from search to booking travel in real time. The information includes the traveler’s searches, clicks, website visits, and views, showing what played a role in influencing their decisions.
Here is a quick look at the data:
By analyzing this information, you can better understand what content influenced his choices and how you can implement yourself into the process. Not only does this data provide the opportunity to peek inside the real-life traveler’s booking process, but it also gives you the chance to use it for improvement.
Get the most out of this type of research by going in-depth. How can you improve this process? What would you do differently? How can you cater to this type of client? Asking these questions will help you modify your process to fit the upcoming generation better.
Stay Ahead of the Curve with Andavo, the Best in Host Travel Agency Services
As a travel advisor, it can be a challenge to keep up with changing technology and online booking services. We provide a multitude of benefits that can help you stand out from the competition. Enjoy the benefits of joining one of the best hotel travel agency services, Andavo. Here are just a few perks:
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Virtuoso Membership
Andavo Travel is a member of Virtuoso, the top host travel agency. Through this membership, you’ll have access to the world’s top vendors, tour operators, and hoteliers in addition to benefits to both you and your clients. A few of these benefits include higher commissions for travel advisors, exclusive client amenities, personalized marketing, Virtuoso meetings, and Virtuoso travel academy. The Academy provides live and recorded training information in sales, supplier product information, and more.
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Preferred Relations with Travel Vendors
Another benefit of an Andavo Travel membership is preferred relations with travel vendors, such as hotel vendors, cruise vendors, and tour vendors. Some of our exclusive travel vendors are Marriott Luxury Brands, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Delta.
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Access to Multiple Global Distribution Systems
Our host travel agency services offer Apollo, Worldspan, and Sabre access and support. Because our travel agency services support multiple GDS systems, you’ll have the flexibility of working in the platform in which you are the most skilled. Plus, it makes the switch to being an Andavo member a breeze.
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Financial Stability
At Andavo, we are dedicated to the support of our advisors and clients. You are always paid correctly, on time, and in full. We are diligent in collecting commissions on your behalf. In addition, we offer an extremely competitive compensation package with no start-up fees, no monthly management fees, and quarterly incentives to help you reach your goals. Andavo commissions earn the highest commission percentage among our key suppliers.
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Easily Track Commissions
Our proprietary commission tracking tool is just one of our services that gives you the power to keep tabs and plan ahead. You can see what has been paid and what is outstanding. Have access to real-time visibility into the current missions we’ve collected. You can also generate invoices so you can concentrate on selling. If you’re an experienced advisor who books luxury travel, joining Andavo is one of the best choices you can make.
The Traveler and You
You know your business. You’re the expert. But the industry is continuously changing. Travelers are looking for a personalized travel experience. Give them a reason to trust you to take them there. For additional help expanding your business, Andavo Travel is here to help. Our team of experts works with you to discover the latest industry trends and stay ahead of the game.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about our host agency services.