Subscribe & Follow
Advertise your job vacancies
Trending
Show more
Jobs
- Human Resources Manager Durban
- Visitor Experience Consultant Cape Town
- Digital Marketing and Content Designer Johannesburg
- Sales Executive - Junior to Intermediate Johannesburg
- Sales Specialist - Global Travel Cape Town
- Group Travel Account Manager South Africa
- Customer Service (UK Company) Work from Home Work From Home
- Video Editor for Social Media Content Cape Town
- Social Media Manager and Strategist Cape Town
- Food and Beverage Manager Johannesburg
Years of disruption sees travel agent turn travel pro
It has been years since the death of the travel agent graced many headlines as consumers increasingly turned to the web to book their holidays. While most would have seen investment in the travel industry at this time as unwise, Flight Centre Travel Group took its business brand, Flight Centre Business Travel to market to tap into this niche that represents the majority of business that happens in South Africa.
©Wavebreak Media Ltd via 123RF
Fast forward to 2017 and the travel agent is more popular than ever. Today, the travel agent has turned travel consultant, advisor or professional – a more enhanced role that seeks to meet traveller demands for personalisation, customisation and expert advice.
Peace of mind and personalistion
In the business travel space, travellers are looking for peace of mind, says Innocent Manaka, FCBT account manager. “People are away from their families. As a travel consultant, you give them the peace of mind that when they travel, they don’t need to worry about anything. Yes, they are away from their families, but a travel consultant will make sure everything runs smoothly.”
And that means that, for some companies, an over-reliance on the web doesn’t deliver that peace of mind and personalisation.
“Airbus Helicopters Southern Africa moved to an online platform a couple of years ago, but it didn’t work out so well,” says the company’s Customer Support Administrator Monica Bridges. “We wanted a more personal approach and were looking for an offline, interactive travel agent.”
Bridges explain the company needed a travel company that would adapt to the company’s specific travel needs, as well as help with the company’s financial visibility. “Our requirement is for an interactive platform that will help us make savings and achieve more visibility. You don’t get that online,” she says.
Meeting travel needs
Penny P. MacDonald, Office Manager at Namakwa Diamonds, says as the travel needs of Namakwa Diamonds increased, the company also decided to look for a more personalised solution. “When I want to know where my bosses are, I phone my travel manager,” she laughs.
“Why would I go online? I have these amazing people who do everything for me.”
For MacDonald, it is important that her travel manager knows every person in the company. “My travel manager knows that if the CFO doesn’t want a middle seat, so he will make sure he doesn’t book that seat. It’s those personal touches that make my life and my job a lot easier,” she says.
Bridges agrees and says: “I phoned my travel manager once at 12am. I received the same friendly service as during the day. That is incredible for me.”
