Travel Agents Gear Up For The Great Rebound

Although the past two years have been pretty detrimental for the travel industry, Transat Travel’s Barry Davis believes there are also some silver linings that came from the pandemic.

“I have gained many loyal and lifelong clients as a result of being there for them whenever they needed me — and they do not forget that,” Davis says. “In my opinion, you never realize the true value of a travel advisor until something goes wrong. It is in times of crisis, whether it be something as small as your hotel room not being what you expected, or as big as being stuck somewhere during a pandemic, when people really realize how valuable we are and once they do that, they’ll be your client for life.”

Coming out of the pandemic, Jamie Milton of Uniglobe Carefree Travel also feels that travel advisors will be in more demand than ever before.

“The world has changed and travel is no longer easy. Restrictions change on a regular basis and vary by country, as well as by region. There are a lot of moving parts and a lot of factors to consider,” Milton notes. “Flights are changed and cancelled with more regularity and wait times to reach a supplier are now several hours, if not days. This is all very overwhelming for the individual traveller and that is why they are reaching out to travel professionals in record numbers. We have new clients coming through our doors daily, who have never booked with an advisor in the past, but are no longer comfortable navigating the ins and outs of travel on their own.”

Click here for the full story or read it in the 2022 TRAVEL AGENT APPRECIATION Issue.