Canada Needs More Travel Agents : 2018 Insights and Predictions

Although it is a very busy time of year for the Travel Industry we at TravelPulse Canada wanted to get some insights, even predictions, from some of Canada’s leading Travel Industry executives. Below are their thoughts.

Denise Heffron - VP National Sales and Commercial, Air Transat

I see continued growth of artificial intelligence and virtual tools. Business travel apps will gain traction, keyless entry for hotel rooms will become commonplace, artificial concierges will be tested and data driven suggestions and recommendations will continue to clog up our FB feeds! In the midst all of this, travel agent value will continue to rise due their first-hand knowledge and experience – clients will need more help than ever navigating the ever-growing quantity of info and tools out there. I believe the rise of “over-tourism” will make way for alternative, less travelled, but equally interesting destinations. Think Tel Aviv instead of Dubrovnik or Hamburg instead of Amsterdam. Travelers will continue to seek out authentic experiences and this segment will grow. Living like a local, giving back to communities, and soaking up history and culture. I also see a resurgence of the social hotel experience. While the sharing economy might provide some good deals, it can also be isolating. The travelling public will remember how fun it is to hang out in a hip lobby bar while listening to good tunes and chatting with other vacationers.

Nino Montagnese, Managing Director, Air Canada Vacations

I see trends emerging in three key areas. Very Strong Sales: Canadians will be heading into the SUN due to our cold weather. I suggest consumers book in advance to avoid disappointment. It’s going to be a stellar year into Europe and beyond. New Distribution: Customers want more options and I believe they’re going to see them. The ability to self-serve will be KEY! Consumers Depend Even More on Professional Travel Consultants: Customers are going to be looking for different experiences and seeking the help of professionals when booking. Quick trips will continue to be booked B2B2C!

Lindsay Neil Pearlman, Co President, Ensemble Travel Group

It’s been happening for years, but I see a growing desire for experiential travel. People want to do new things that are interesting and fun and go beyond the beach. I’m hearing wild stories of ziplining adventures from people I wouldn’t have expected to do those kinds of things. The neat thing is they know they’re going to have to talk to someone to make that happen, so they’ll be going to travel professionals and people who know what this is all about and can either confirm the research they’ve done or provide alternative suggestions. We’re seeing an increased need for the traditional travel pro, but the bad news is that it’s harder and harder to find that person as the market isn’t expanding. It’s a bit of a challenge. People are retiring, and not enough new blood is coming into the market. From a location perspective, I think we’re seeing behavior’s change. In the past we’ve often seen geopolitical events such as terrorism or the elections down in the U.S. occur and travel stops or slows down. Sometimes people want to book where it’s safe. But these kinds of events are no longer stopping us from travelling. France saw record tourism numbers last year. So that’s good. But I think the cost of acquiring that customer might be more as these days we don’t always know when someone is going to book. I don’t think they know when they’re going to book.

Justin French, Regional Vice President, Canada and the Northern U.S., Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival continues to invest in our agent support technology with a recent redesign of GoCCL.com, our travel agent web site, and additional enhancements on the horizon for 2018. Adolfo Perez’s trade-related Facebook page also keeps growing and is an excellent platform in which agents may engage directly with us

Carnival Cruise Line has continued to attract more and more guests to experience its unique shipboard product. Last year, we carried a record 5 million guests, including 800,000 kids – the most in our company’s 45-year history. With four new ships, including the new Carnival Horizon set to enter service in April 2018, we are poised to continue our growth and provide even more guests with fun, memorable vacations at a great value.

Attracting new cruisers is imperative to our company’s and industry’s growth. With so many ships coming on line over the next few years, we must entice vacationers “on the fence” to ultimately set sail and travel agents are essential in achieving this goal.

Training is always important for agents as cruise products are continually evolving. Just this week we introduced our new “Choose Fun” brand campaign. After robust research on Carnival guests, we discovered that the Carnival brand, guests and crew all share the common belief that fun is a choice and whether on board or ashore, those vacationing with Carnival choose to be their truest self, embrace positivity and have fun with others. As we move forward in 2018, we’ll be working closely with travel agents on how they can market “Choose Fun” with their own clients.

Andrew Dawson, Chief Operating Officer, Sunwing

For 2018 we’re seeing a big uptake in group travel. Beyond the more traditional wedding groups, we’re seeing a lot of demand for friends and/or multi generations of families to celebrate important milestones or reunions. With the certainty of cost, the removal of all planning and hassles and the superior setting and offerings of a modern all-inclusive offering, it’s the perfect way to reconnect. We’ve tailored flying form across Canada to have coinciding dates wherever possible, so it’s easier to pull together friends and family from across the country or even from the USA via Vacation Express.

Flemming Friisdahl, President and Founder, The Travel Agent Next Door

I think we need new travel agents. A Canadian Government study in 2011 stated that the age range of travel agents was between 50 to 55 years old. Now this was done almost seven years ago. So what this tells us over the next five to 10 years is a high number of new travel agents will be required to meet the needs of the consumers. All studies have shown that consumers are looking for the services of a travel professional for them. We continue to see a growth in faith-based travel, adventure, eco-tourism and humanitarian/voluntourism. Consumers will continue to look for the guidance of a travel professional to help make those dream trips come true. The need for travel agent professionals will clearly continue to grow. My concern is that in some provinces and in some travel agencies/host agencies there is little requirements for someone to “call themselves” a travel agent and this is a shame. The number of agents calling themselves travel agents is growing but the number of “qualified people” is not growing fast enough. I see a stronger need to get certified to make yourself stand out from the rest!