TravTalk India Online Magazine
Going by travel agents’ and tour operators’ jargon, it seems the tourism industry has become unwieldy in terms of ‘real time earnings’. Has the time come when travel agents should concentrate on special client segments?
INDER RAJ AHLUWALIA
“One of the mega trends in the tourism industry today is ‘specialisation’ to meet the specific needs of discerning new-age travellers. The tourism industry, it was said, has become a market of one. However, it is not an ‘either’, ‘or’ situation. The huge segment of mass tourism still depends on conventional operators to service their demands. Ultimately, survival will depend on the quality of service and innovations of the service providers. That is the key.” – MP Bezbaruah, Former Secretary & Permanent Representative, (Hon), UNWTO
“Since today’s clients are well aware of what they want from their holidays, agents and tour operators should use this as their work-plan and act accordingly. They have to focus on clients individually and ensure they fulfill their individual needs. General work systems won’t serve the purpose in the current scenario. There’s a need to be specific in terms of services provided. The emphasis should be on providing exactly what clients want as per their taste, interest and budget. The industry has to focus on special client segments to have an edge over competition.” – Vijay Thakur, Past President, Indian Association of Tour Operators
“Segmentation of tourism clients is essential today. The Indian tourism industry is facing enormous challenges with the emergence of online travel agents. With customers now able to book their tickets and packages online, only those travel agents and tour operators will survive who adapt themselves to change and specialise in different aspects of tourism like adventure tourism, religious tourism, medical tourism, Meetings Incentives Conferences & Events (MICE), etc. This is the reason why we are seeing increasing segmentation in the tourism industry” – Subhash Goyal, Chairman, STIC Travel Group
“Today’s competitive scenario makes it essential for agents and tour operators to focus on special client segments. While segmenting and segregating clients isn’t easy, it is essential. An organisation can then use its resources to the optimum level, both for generating business and profitability. The time has come when agents should seriously consider introducing the practice of implementing ‘commitment deposits’ to test clients’ seriousness. The amounts could be adjusted against services provided. General ‘client-servicing’ is no longer going to yield optimal dividends” – Cdr C P Sharma, Managing Director, Neptune Travco
“The internet has dramatically changed the travel industry’s work scenario. It has ensured that today’s travellers have quick access to all their travel-related information. This includes services earlier provided by agents and tour operators. This situation makes agents somewhat redundant, so to stay afloat they need to focus on clients’ special needs for all sorts of holidays. Today’s tourists seek more ‘experiences’ rather than just seeing monuments and other routine tourist attractions. So it’s important to segment them, identity their needs and provide quality inputs to cater to those needs.” – Sarab Jit Singh, MD, Travelite India
“‘Nothing is constant except change’ and this is especially true of the travel industry which has been evolving for the last decade. The advent of the worldwide web, easy online access, shrinking boundaries, B2B specialists and dynamic pricing have all combined to give the industry clients a distinct edge in terms of information, pricing and quality. Agents who have adapted and focused on their strengths have progressed. One has to specialise in certain categories, destinations, segments and products, and have a robust online selling mechanism, as that’s the current trend.” – Punam Singh, Associate, Travel Show
