There’s no question that travellers are now more than ever seeking a level of personalisation in their travel plans.
Trips which have been curated with the travellers’ interests, likes and dislikes in mind are likely to be more popular and see customers returning.
For Intrepid Group Regional Director of Asia Pacific Brett Mitchell, offering a personalised experience is imperative for growth and progression in the industry.
Speaking to Travel Weekly, Mitchell said, “Personalisation, regardless of agent or suppler, is what the industry should be striving to offer all travellers.”
“Being able to surpass customer’s expectations is ultimately the role of all parties – during each stage of the customer journey from initial inspiration, to booking, to the travel experience & post travel also.”
Mitchell’s sentiment echoes a larger push in the industry for personalised travel.
In early October, Amadeus unveiled the ‘Amadeus Selling Platform Connect’, a booking and fulfilment platform for travel agencies that’s designed to free you from technology constraints so you can put your passion to work.
Using the platform, Amadeus gives agents the ability to book more than 20,000 tours, activities, transfers and ferries in real-time from all over the world with partners such as City Discovery, Jayride Transfers and Livn Experiences, from hundreds of suppliers like Intrepid, Gray Line, Urban Adventures, and more.
As well as this, Hilton recently announced it would be taking personalisation to the bedroom, as each room can be specially modified to suit a guest’s preference.
From setting the temperatures to just how guests like it, to programming the TV to host all their favourite channels, the hotel chain says personalisation is the “next big thing”.
“If we know that you like your room at 70 degrees (via) your phone, we will set it for you before you get there,” Hilton’s Chief Marketing Officer, Geraldine Calpin told CNBC’s ‘Marketing Media Money’ TV show.
Industry competition
While speaking to TW, Mitchell also touched on the unecessary competition between agents and suppliers in relation to direct booking and suppliers rewarding travellers with incentives.
“As we know, Australians are very strong users of travel agency services, so to try and cut agents out of the transaction is really short sighted.
“Agents are aware of the brands who support them, and will support those brands in return.”
“At Intrepid Group we are very fortunate to have many long-standing and genuine agency partnerships on the back of loyalty to our partners.”
Adding to this, Mitchell said rivalry within the industry does nothing more hinder its growth.
“At Intrepid Group our agency partners are not competitors – they are true partners and we all see mutual opportunity and benefit in working together to deliver the best experience for the customer.”
