Innovate or die

 Travel agents must pull out all the stops to prove to their customers that they are not past their sell by date.

Judging by the comments we’ve received from tourism boards and suppliers, the travel trade has been woefully slack in keeping up with the changing world of travel — not just in terms of technology, but in its whole approach to selling travel.

Are these comments fair? Well, every single travel agent I meet tells me the biggest threat to their business today is the internet.

But what are travel agents actually doing about it? With people heading straight to their PCs to book holidays, are agents doing anything to prove they are still relevant in today’s increasingly online world?

I'm not even talking about trying to compete with Expedia here (it seems agencies have yet to wake up to the wonders of technology). But what about your customer offering?

Why should they choose you? Personally, I believe there is a huge opportunity for innovative agents to thrive in this internet age. Online booking can be crazily frustrating — there is so much clutter on the net nowadays it's a maze to navigate if you don't know what you really want.

On the other hand, travel agencies that push the same old products, brochures and peeling posters, can feel like stepping into a time warp... Customers who love travel want to get excited about the travel buying experience.

And travel agents with knowledge and one-to-one customer contact should have the edge over the internet. My 'ultimate' agency would be more like a café where consultants could chat to you about dream destinations over coffee; travel packages would be targeted to the audience, and suppliers could even be invited along to meet clients for 'specially themed destination nights'.

The potential is endless. But who are the innovators out there? I want to hear from you.

Monika Canty, Editor

As the voice of the Middle East travel trade, we want to hear your news and views. Email the editor at monika.canty@itp.com