Marketing Service of Travel Agents - Essay Example

? MARKETING SERVICE TRAVEL AGENTS MARKETING SERVICE TRAVEL AGENTS Travel agents are an important part of millions of lives in United Kingdom. They have played an enormous role in ever increasing travel industry when it was opened about 100 years ago. However, this does not say anything about their future; threats received from society and also technology are a serious intimidation to the travel industry. Thomas Cook was the first travel agent of the world when he began to run rail tours from Leicester to the region of Lughborough during 1800s. After the demise of Cook, many other travel agents came who fulfilled the holiday and society desires for people for this novel transportation means, train. Since then, offices kept opening up to public in United Kingdom and the genuine ‘travel agencies’ came into existence. These travel agencies grew in hundreds and multiples and the invention of air package holiday in the year 1950 the number augmented by thousands as they reached 8,000 during 1990s. Today there are approximately 7000 travel agents in United Kingdom alone.1 Business travelers in United kingdom might select one of the United Kingdom’s assigned travel agents. The AAA Corporate Travel Services is the leading travel agency, in addition to the second agency which is off the campus called Avant Travel. The AAA Concur is on top of the online services of reservation in United Kingdom. Even though everyone in United Kingdom prefer arrangements by UK travel agents; they may decide on a different travel agent other than the UK travel, or any other organization than Concur. But, if they prefer to do so then a certain amount will be printed by Concur and it is submitted to travel agent for the aim of reimbursement. Personal credit card is mandated when any other vendor other than UK one is used and the amount of travel is reimbursed after the travel. 2 The liked method of business payment is the University Procurement Card which is favored payment method for the business airline tickets which can be purchased via Concur, AAA, and Avant Travel. The personal credit card is of immense value especially in case of a different vendor. The amount is reimbursed after the complete travel. This procurement card can be utilized for tax charges and business hotel room, conference registration fees, and rental car charges. Various travel discounts have been secured by United Kingdom. These discounts were discussed with Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and Delta Airlines. The fares are still unpublished and are only on the sites of United Kingdom’s own travel agents. United Kingdom has many rental car discounts with national Car Rental and Enterprise Rent-A-Car and these discounts are discussed at various hotels. The aim of Travel agents is to make the business efficient and pleasurable for the customers.3 Many travel firms of United Kingdom believe that if you can survive in hard times then you can easily flourish in times of boom. The market is drastically becoming mature and recession increasing and so the United Kingdom travel agents face a lot of challenges today to survive in the market. Holidays today are a huge priority for people as they spent an indispensable amount on holidays. Therefore, there is a lot of pressure on the travel agents to come up with better deals and at the same time, offer an even greater protection for consumers. In these lean times, the firms are definitely looking for opportunities abroad and comprehend the challenges they might face for a feasible future. The recession is the biggest challenge which I no doubt decreasing the consumer spending and even if the things haven’t been great for some time, recession is on its verge today. Travel agents have reduced their capability for holiday programs and ‘de-risk model of business. 4 The finance cost and access to it is another challenge that the travel services are facing today. The seasonal travel needs efficient financial market at right rates when most needed. Also, the ways to protect consumer money and also when confidence in market is deteriorating and the scarcity of financial availability is increasing. It is very important that regulatory bodies and financial providers treat these travel agents as partners. Additionally, economically or politically risky destinations such as Egypt and Greece in which many travel agents have in borne interest such as ABTA are also working to make sure that intelligence is there to make sure that consumers and the industry have a right view of genuine situation and then act. The novel regulations are also a threat to the United Kingdom travel services with the novel government led customer protection rules are also a real life scenario. Many organizations are applying for reforms and licenses. In the United Kingdom, the true picture is under the review and this will have a deep effect on travel in UK. Fifth challenge are the taxes and the capability which are having the UK people to give more time for removal of taxes as they are mostly perceived as ‘value destroying taxes’. The Servuction Model gives the service experience which is a model to give the factors what provide service, and also experience both visible and invisible consumer. The invisible component is made up of invisible firms and the systems as well. The Servuction Model gives consumers the opportunity of being an important and efficient part. The participation might be active and also passive; managers must comprehend the interactive nature of customers and services involvement in the process of production. A travel agent is defined as any individual or firm who sells and organizes the travel mostly surrounding the accommodation or transport to any consumer. This description includes high-street travel agents, and also tour operators.5 The travel industry in United Kingdom is fragmented enough with about thousand important tour agencies, hundreds of sea, air, and land carriers. And tens of thousands of hotels and other states of living, and accommodation and various other firms such as tourist boards, attractions, restaurants, shops, pubs, and event companies. Travel operators in United Kingdom excluding business travel operators are about seven thousand in number which are reducing by 1-2% annually. The overall pattern of decline and growth is modification in branding and ownership over the past couple of years. In other industrial sectors including restaurants and hotels this consolidation has occurred. Many sovereign agencies and tiny groups have replaced in a couple of years by growing agency operators. 6 The foremost United Kingdom brands and progressing travel agencies are the top leading groups called First Choice, Thomson, Airtours, and Thomas Cook now control management over forty percent of the retail society units, in actuality represents eighty percent of United Kingdom package holiday trades. Mostly when a person helps another person in preparation of trip or someone needs to be in charge of everything. Travel organizations are the retail businesses at helping customers in reserving, planning, and preparing the vacation holiday trips or the transportation and the accommodation you needed. Travel outfits sell products that pertain to travelling giving consumer service to each and every client that any individual will comprehend nature of work of such companies as it is vital to understand the background and history of this industry. Basically, these agencies make sure that in reserving the ticket to the airlines for consumer. This was very suitable way for any person for trip preparation to make it less stressful.7 Travel agencies also help in preparing for car rental service or the cruise liners relating to vacation holiday types a person gets. This is an amazing way to let someone get off the burden of calling renting car services in the location. Most agencies fundamentally have links with transportations, hotels, and the r buses that are required in travel. Discount rates are also given to customers on such flights. It is known that the companies in United Kingdom are unique and oldest organizations in world. During the year 1758, travel agencies used to have affluent customers. The organization was a first class bank but they endeavored to different businesses like preparing and planning travels for the consumers. It continued till the 19th Century. Mr. Cook came up with a travel package for consumers who loved travelling and many travel agencies in market. 19th Century was the time several travel agencies came into existence. They understood that it is very feasible and convenient to have a holiday package tour somewhat with all planning and preparation. Several tourists like the holiday package idea as they need to wait for vacation. 8 The travel consultants Egencia Travels service is first priority. The customer service comprises of hundreds of travel agents around the globe devoted to top quality and service for the travelers. Specialists in the area provide service 24 hours a day via email or phone proactively help with the goals and needs of travelers. They also give better service via incorporated technology where technology empowers the travel consultants to deliver quality service with consistency. The travel consultants share same platform as the travelers so they have access to the bookings, enroute exchanges and changes, itineraries, and the policy preferences. The technical assistance for the online reservation with fine quality offline booking service is also available at Egencia. The better consultants and better training is given at Egencia Travel Consultant. Uniform and consistent training is provided at Egencia Travels Services for measurement and metrics. Traditional evaluation and training makes sure that a quality customer experience, consistent, in spite of the service centre position. 9 Permanent training and evaluation makes sure enormous service to give the better quality service. Egencia travel counselors are constantly assessed and evaluated relied on worldwide consistent metrics comprising customer satisfaction issue logs, surveys, agent scorecards, and email service valuation and phone. The consequence was a high standard for travelers’ care. The worldwide service expects same admirable service from the Egencia services whether the employees are domestically travelling halfway or domestically around the world. There are four hundred and fifty travel agents in fourteen locations around the globe. The consistently trained level consultants make sure the travelers persistently receive best help and excellent advice.10 Stella operations in United Kingdom include both online retailing and high street retailing, also the wholesale supply off traditional travel and products in operating placing Stella at the heart of this industry for both consumers and travel agents. The Stella Travel Consultants give international and domestic air, international and car bookings. It also books complicated or the international routes, it also gives help to road travelers and perform exchange and cancellations.11 References AIR TRANSPORT AND TRAVEL INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD. (1975). Manpower in travel. Staines, The Board. ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH TRAVEL AGENTS. (1968). Economic survey of the travel agency business ... Prepared for the Association of British Travel Agents by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Prepared for the Association of British Travel Agents by the Economist Intelligence Unit. COLLINS, V. R., & MIRZA, M. (1999). Working in tourism: the UK, Europe & beyond, for seasonal and permanent staff. Oxford, Vacation Work BARRY, D. (1991). Dave Barry's only travel guide you'll ever need. New York, Fawcett Columbine. EGENCIA (2013). Egencia Travel Consultants – Why They’re the Best in the Business. Available at: https://www.egencia.co.uk/public/uk/en/travel-agency-services/offline-customer-service/ GREAT BRITAIN. (1997). Foreign package holidays: a report on the supply in the UK of tour operators ?services and travel agents ?services in relation to foreign package holidays. London, Stationery Office. MINTEL. (2002). Travel agents. London, Mintel. STATISTICAL OFFICE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES. (1997). Statistics on selected service sectors in the EU: a synthesis of quantitative results of pilot surveys on audiovisual services, hotels and travel agencies and transport. Eurostat. STELLA(2013). Travel Services UK. Available at: http://www.stellatravel.co.uk/ TRAVEL AGENTS TRAVEL CLUB. (1994). Travel agents travel club magazine. London (Glebe House, 83 Glebe St., W4 2BE), TATC. Read More