According to Google data, almost more than 80% of travel agencies are receiving news from travelers who have never used one before.
Google also reported that 59% of travelers prefer a travel agency to help them plan and personalize their next adventure. They also report that 76% of advisers are seeing an increase in clients compared to dates before the pandemic.
This year, without a doubt, people will want to live a tailor-made luxury experience. And the opportunity is in the brands when users come to them.
During an Aspire session at the Global Travel Week kick-off in London, Google travel industry leader Finnbar Cornwall said:
“With all the uncertainty surrounding travel, we are seeing more and more people turning to travel agencies for help and seeking advice, compared to the pre-pandemic period”.
“There is no doubt that next year people will want to have a tailor-made luxury experience. The opportunity is in the brands, when people go to them, to achieve that sustained behavior”.
In a Google poll, 55% of respondents selected “travel, lodging and vacations” as the leisure category they hope to splurge.
Cornwall also mentioned that travelers today are more open to making a purchase from a new travel company, with 40% of consumers opting to buy from a new brand when traveling.
The choices people make for a startup are driven by cost, with 39% of consumers saying they were attracted to the price, value of offers, and rewards, while 23% it was more driven by the ability to get it quickly and another 23% driven by reviews and recommendations.
“The great challenge for us as a company is that the historical data that we once had on: How people searched, how they came to you, who they stayed with, nowadays all that data does not exist, you cannot take advantage of that data ”.
“During these last years we have noticed that Gen Z have a lot of money and want to spend it on travel and are willing to try new brands. So you can’t trust customer loyalty and these are some things to think about when looking at how to get back on track”.
Sources: travelweekly.co.uk, smarttravel.news
