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Travel consultants will not replaced by machines
WTM 2003 Special: Travel consultants still have a role to play in planning and booking complex itineraries say the managers of the West Midlands Co-op Travel.
The independent agency has been the first to take up the broadband travel offering of NTL (Travel Division), and has used the product to enhance the service it offers in its shops – services that appear to remove the role of the travel consultant.
West Midlands’ new retail shops are called Travel Ultra, the first of which is open in Walsall, and the second is due to open later this month in Kidderminster. The shops feature self-service internet kiosks where customers can search and book, the CheckT card system where customers can research package holidays (and will soon be able to book them), and touch screens featuring destination videos and offers.
West Midland general manager IT, Melvyn Taylor told TravelMole that having broadband means the agency has been able to send the latest holiday offers round all 23 branches in a matter of seconds. The touch-screen holiday videos are now accompanied by the latest holiday deals.
Although the new technology would appear to remove the role of the travel consultant, West Midland deputy general manager of travel, Sue Lewis, says consumers are still only booking lower price travel products online, and looking to consultants for more complex and expensive itineraries.
West Midlands was the first customer of the NTL Broadband Travel Network product. NTL has now made two further signings at WTM – the Lincoln-based Imp Travel, and Uniglobe Ireland Travel.
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