In the post COVID era, the travel industry made a more profound transition into the digital world, with new product developments, new apps, Api´s, revenue management tools, new marketing channels, etc.
But now, the question is, how to let your clients know about all these new tools? Is a marketing campaign enough to make these new developments evident to everyone? How will you make it happen? Do wholesalers and travel agencies have real knowledge of all these new processes and tools available in your company?
COVID-19 created an ample opportunity for online distributors because the entire ecosystem changed. It is now geared towards reduced teams (contracting, marketing, product, sales, and operation). And with the reactivation of the market, travel agencies will rely more on those players who can provide a complete set of tools to maintain steady performance.
This development was slow because teams were reduced, and only those with the structure to support them through this phase will succeed.
Here is some important information you have to master:
- Information about destinations (restrictions, properties, services, etc.).
- Marketing tools to promote sales through different communication channels (WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Facebook, email, SMS). You can also use templates, white-label engines, etc.
- New products lines.
- Last-minute offers.
Contents
Be digital
The future of the industry is digital. The specialization of the people involved in all the distribution channels is crucial in reducing errors and getting a better understanding of the product. It is also an opportunity for online distributors to show all their attributes for better distribution and increase loyalty and market share.
Shaping the mindset of your travel distribution channel
Train your clients, or your competitors will do it!
- Create your travel academy
Knowledge is precious, and training your customer should be a really important part of the onboarding process. It adds significant value and is a huge opportunity for every organization that sells B2B digital products. This is especially true if you are working to increase sales and reduce churn rates to maximize profits.
This is a real opportunity to build a deeper bond with your clients and further specialize the travel agency regarding different product lines (we will call it modules). You can increase your participation quota on the market if you focus on different product lines.
- Create a certification on every module
The certification process creates a sense of trust in what you offer, provides value to the certified professional, and increases confidence in your product.
This certification should be mandatory to achieve yearly goals. It must be easy, achievable, and entirely digital; it will create value for your clients and your company.
This will allow a better distribution of sales among the company product lines, reduce the error ratio, reduce the support demand, and open the door for more automatization, reducing costs and increasing revenue.
Also, you should consider the following points:
- Everything has to be online: short modules about the product and certification: (hotels, TRF, car rental, API, Marketing tools, etc.) a classroom, with videos, zooms, and questionnaires.
- A diploma or certification of the travel agent for different modules of the company that they can share on social networks.
- The creation of an “exclusive contact channel” for certificated people who will eventually form a huge chunk of your client base.
Benefits of client certification
Besides all the mentioned benefits of the program and the increase in the market share, certification will create a profound psychological message.
“We are the best at what we do, and we want to share it with you!”
I always thought it was terrific how GDSs have grown with such complex and robust systems. I remember going to Amadeus to certify myself in ticketing and the feeling of success because I learned a new tool; it gave me more confidence, and it helped me during my first years in the industry.
Best examples of companies with certification
There are a few examples on this matter.
As mentioned before, the leading ones are GDSs, and you can follow their academies:
- The UNWTO Tourism Academy has an interesting approach to certify different abilities focused on today’s needs.
- A few years ago, Tourico created its own academy, but it was focused on college graduates.
- The Omnibees academy is doing something on this matter, but more focused on the Brazilian market and hotel distribution Capacitação de profissionais hoteleiros – Omnibees Academy.
- Furlong Fox Argentina is working on this subject, but they have a paid academy to train travel agents: https://furlongtravelacademy.com.ar/cursos/.
To conclude, we can say that the innovation and development of new products/tools is one of the most important fundamentals for the evolution of our industry. Still, communication and training in new technologies and product developments are just as important. This is the way we will achieve not only better distribution but also tremendous growth for everyone involved in the process, obtaining a deeper bond with your clients, a more significant market share, and most importantly, a more profound sense of loyalty.
