如果他们可以
byDori Saltzman/
Host agency and travel franchise executives are bullish on the future of the travel advisor industry. Continuous growth over the last six months and strong expectations for the next six months have executives feeling good about the future.
But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t love to make a few changes going into 2023 if they could. Long hold times, confusing and ever-changing COVID-19 regulations, and more travel advisor advocacy are a few of the things executives would change to make life and business better for travel advisors.
Hold Times
克鲁斯计划者的创始人兼首席执行官米歇尔·费(Michelle Fee)告诉旅行市场报告,米歇尔·费(Michelle Fee)告诉旅行市场报告:“我确实理解了供应商长期存在的原因。”beplay客服“但是他们需要弄清楚如何更早而不是晚些时候解决它。”
While Fee thinks ending long hold times would ease advisor frustrations, more importantly, it would help them do more business.
“不幸的是,顾问一天只能进行许多预订。但是,一旦保持时间越来越少,顾问将能够越来越多。”
COVID-19限制和协议
“I would make travel more seamless,” said Debbie Fiorino, COO of World Travel Holdings, the parent company of Dream Vacations. “… the confusing, different restrictions, the testing, vaccination requirements. If I can wave my magic wand I would go back to more normal because then customers don’t have to worry and agents don’t have to spend their time doing that and can spend their time servicing their customers.”
费用在COVID-19问题上与Fiorino相呼应。“希望在2023年,邮轮线将能够放弃疫苗接种和测试要求,并且顾问不必弄清楚所有这些不同的协议,我们可以回到填充船只。”
Flight/Cruises Changes/Cancellations & Staffing Shortages
NEST总裁Kathryn Mazza-Burney告诉TMR,她希望看到航空公司重新回到目标,并停止取消航班。
“有很多打扰。她说:“顾问无法控制这会损害他们的业务,并为业务做出贡献。”
She added she understands that getting things back on track is related to getting people back to work.
“邮轮线之所以取消,是因为他们无法接受培训和工作……这是有资格的人受到培训并重返工作岗位。”
更多顾问倡导
菲奥里诺说,她的第一步将是她自从19日大流行之前就一直想看到的。
“My biggest thing and this is what I’ve always wished… would be that the industry, travel professionals, franchises, host agencies, associations like CLIA and ASTA, and the suppliers themselves continue to bang the drum on why using a travel professional is always the best, smartest, easiest way to book a vacation."
Payment Changes
Both Jeff Anderson, co-CEO of Avoya Travel, and Jackie Friedman, president of Nexion Group, told TMR they’d really like to see suppliers adopt new commission payment timelines.
It’s a trend that’s already picking up some steam. Explora Journeys has a rolling commission payment program, where advisors get paid a commission on the deposits put down. Tour operator Collette pays a portion of the full commission (based on type of booking) early. And Scenic Group (parent of Scenic and Emerald Cruises) recently announced it will begin paying travel advisor commissions全额付款后21天for trips booked at least six months out.
Travel Market Report explored this issue of commission payments and the advisor pay cycle in “Does the Supplier Commission Timeline Need to Change?”