Archives for June 2008
The buzz of the Big Apple
By Janchrister Egnefors, August 2007Back to work after the holidays. It feels great to be rested and ready for the new challenges of the autumn. I’m always saying that the travel industry is the world’s most exciting and interesting industry to work in. Not just because travel really broadens people’s horizons, but also because it takes a great deal to stay at the top in an industry that changes as quickly as ours does. Read more…
IATA postpones switch to e-tickets until May 2008
August 2007In recent years, the travel industry has seen a huge switch from paper tickets to electronic tickets. The industry organisation IATA has decided that the whole airline industry should switch to e-tickets by the end of May 2008. The changeover will mean changes for travel agencies and travellers alike. Read more…
New York’s Hot Spots
August 2007Josephine Bornebusch is one of Sweden’s most promising actresses, best known on Swedish TV for the travel programme När och Fjärran and the comedy series Playa Del Sol. Over the summer, Josephine is living in New York and studying acting at the William Esper Studios. Read more…
Scandinavian travel agents top for service sales
August 2007Amadeus has recently published a worldwide report, taking the temperature of the travel industry. The survey is based on responses from 600 travel agencies. One surprising conclusion is that Scandinavian and American travel agencies have been most successful in finding new sales areas. Read more…
Smart service packaging online
August 2007Falling ticket revenue and travellers’ increasing desire to book online is making life hard for travel agencies. Amadeus Magazine has talked to Lastminute.com about the future of the travel agency, survival strategies and smart service packaging for the Internet.
According to Amadeus’ report*, 34 percent of the world’s travel agencies see falling revenue from tickets as their greatest challenge at the moment. Dan Brunell has worked in the travel industry for many years, and is now Head of Nordic Flights for Lastminute.com. He very much agrees that the travel industry is facing a baptism of fire.
“The margins are to be had in different places, and the important thing is to find attractive products that travellers want,” explains Brunell. “We have a head start in Scandinavia, as practically everyone has access to the Internet. I feel it’s easier to present services and give a clear overview online than through traditional sales over the counter.”
Surviving as a travel agency Dan Brunell sees two main ways of succeeding as a travel agency today. One important approach is to find your niche and focus on a narrow target group, be it travel tailored to pensioners, families or people who prefer more exclusive holidays.
The other way to succeed as a travel agency today is to work on developing products and getting your website structure right. When it comes down to it, the survival of a travel agency depends on services, the most popular of which are hotels, car hire and events.
“On the Internet, the key is to place the services with the best margins where they are most visible to visitors. Other products that we know travellers will still be looking for, but which have poorer margins, are placed further back. It’s almost like in your local supermarket, where the milk is always right at the back of the store, forcing customers to walk past the complete range of products,” says Brunell.
Amadeus’ report has compiled a list of measures and tips for making travel agencies more successful at selling services. The complete report can be downloaded at: www.amadeus.com/catchthefees
* The full title of the report is Service Fees and Commission Cuts: Opportunities and Best Practices for Travel Agencies.
Three-figure increase in online bookings
August 2007Nowadays, practically everything to do with travel can be arranged on the Internet. Travellers can search for the cheapest flights, check hotels and perhaps book a hire car. Read more…
