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Industry has not changed for the better, finds agent poll
A poll of agents has found that 70% believe the industry has changed over the past 25 years, but only 25% believed these changes were for the better.
According to a survey of 1,000 agents and 1,000 British consumers commissioned by Holiday Extras, the single biggest change cited (58%) was the growth of online sales.
This figure was in line with the consumer findings, with 71% booking their holiday online and only 25% booking through an agent.
While a third of agents believe that consumers take more holidays today than 25 years ago, 38% of customers felt that they were taking about the same as they have always done.
Looking to the future, 40% of agents saw the credit crunch as having the biggest impact on holidays.
Longer-term factors influencing the holiday market are considered to be:
– long-haul weekend breaks with the advancement of technology in air travel (42%)
– eco and adventure tourism penetrating the mainstream (21%)
-increased money and leisure time will mean a desire to travel more (20%)
– environmental awareness will inhibit overseas travel (18%)
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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