If there’s one area of the tourism sector that’s experienced a drastic change over the past ten years, it has to be travel agencies. Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer traditional travel agencies with physical offices than ever before, while online reservations have taken over entirely as users have more options, and all at the click of a button.
But the pace of development in the sector is so rapid that online travel agencies are also facing constant changes and need to adapt to the demands of increasingly well-informed travellers.
Right now, the big thing is self-service or do-it-yourself that allows users to choose everything from airport transfers to activities and day trips. This type of smart travel is typically done via mobile apps or on websites. One example is Civitatis, which offers, guided visits, day trips and tours all over the world.
Another challenge agencies are facing is the high adoption rate for bookings made on smartphones, which will eventually take over from websites completely. The sector needs to provide prices in real time over different platforms and to continuously updated.
Travellers nowadays want personalised, authentic experiences. They have no interesting in going on the same trip to the same place as always. The sector picked up on this rapidly and is now offering local experiences.
But the real big challenge, creating the most controversy is the ‘intruders’, platforms like Airbnb that offer room rentals is the best areas at a competitive price. There’s now even a free version with Couchsurfing companies proving hugely successful among younger people.
Another sector undergoing changes that need to be addressed is business travel. Business people are constantly in meeting and never know exactly when they’ll finish, some prefer to go back home, and now an increasing number want to add on leisure extensions to their trip.
And it’s not exactly clear how the generation difference in tastes works anymore. We can now find people over 60 looking for adventures and new experiences while young people in their 30s seem to prefer more relaxing holidays.
In light of all the above, travel agents and digital platforms need to be in a state of constant evolution and up-to-date with all the latest trends.
