FEATURE
The complexity of travel
People love to travel and , in a hybrid working world , many now have more flexibility and time to do just that . While the travel industry is not new to online retailing and booking , the process of finding , comparing and booking tends to be more difficult than it should be . Arguably , the blame can be placed on the complexity within the travel industry . From processes involved to sort through the millions of offers and options for a single trip , to the difficulty of assembling a single itinerary across multiple purchase points , and of course , the frustrating exchange and refund process – travel retailing can be a burdensome task for all parties involved . And while travel is complex , the burden shouldn ’ t fall on travellers .
Consumers expect choice and it ’ s crucial they are provided with it . But , choice can be overwhelming and having the ability to easily filter from several options down to ones that best meet a traveller ’ s needs is the difference between a great experience and a frustrating one . In Travelport ’ s What consumers want study , we determined that the majority ( 59 %) of consumers say getting what they want is more important than price . This means travel is missing out on higher sales opportunities when we focus on price points and do not present the options travellers want most while they ’ re shopping .
This is where travel agencies are best placed to offer the customer a modern retailing experience . Travel agents have all available choices to hand and can tailor the experience for their customers . So , they can spare travellers the complexities and instead present them with choices that best meet their wants and needs , in the same way that today ’ s modern retailers are doing when it comes to other products and consumer goods .
What is a modern retail experience ?
A modern retail transformation will look and feel different for travel , but it can be delivered in the same way as other industries in retailing . For agents , the experience will be underpinned by retailers who grasp modern expectations and build their processes around them to customise and transform the consumer journey
42 www . intelligentcxo . com