Agents warned: Don’t fall asleep at the wheel

Wednesday, 15 Oct, 2012 0

Robert Bailey, president and CEO of Abacus International, has told travel agents that there has never been a better time to get closer to customers and reinforce their loyalty.

But the challenge for agents, he said, was to leverage new technologies and not get caught between old and new business models – those reliant on commissions – and those gaining traction online with low cost operations.

"How do you step up your game to meet the changing needs of your customers," he asked travel agents attending the Abacus International Conference in Seoul.

The incentives to use new technology and solutions to transform the way agents do business were only too evident, Bailey said.

The Asia Pacific region has the largest mobile subscriber base in the world and smartphone adoption is soaring, according to a Phocuswright survey.

South East Asia sold USD2.4 billion worth of smartphones in the first three months of 2012, while in China more than half of smartphone owners said they would rather give up their televisions than their smartphones.

In Indonesia, the number of Internet users will reach 76 million by 2015 – and 61% of those users will connect from mobile devices.

In the mobile space, there was an opportunity for travel companies to use modern technology to build relationships, increase engagement and drive revenue before, during and after any customer booking, Bailey said.

"Mobile technology is a massive opportunity but it’s also a threat," Bailey added. "We can’t be asleep at the wheel. We must be up to speed with our customers’ use of technology…and co-create the travel experience with them."

by Ian Jarrett

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Ian Jarrett

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