Travel advisors are relied upon by their clients to provide expert advice and save them time, says new research from Expedia Group.
In an online survey Expedia commissioned Wakefield Research to conduct, Expedia determined most travellers who use advisors take one to four trips a year, with 46% taking between one and two. The survey spanned 5,000 respondents across 10 countries, including Canada,
“This indicates they want to get the most value out of their time away, so they turn to travel advisors for personalized guidance,” the research report said.
Of all survey respondents, 45% used a travel advisor to book most, if not all, of their trips, with bookings from Mexico and India the likeliest to come through agents.
Receiving expert advice and expedience were cited by 52% of respondents who sought the services of an advisor, followed by 45% who reported wanting exclusive deals and personalized service. An advisor who had the ability to handle emergencies was cited by 38%, while 37% used advisors to find ideal destinations and accommodations.
Travellers also relied on advisors to provide them less cumbersome experiences, especially for complicated voyages internationally or with multiple destinations.
“International (50%) and multi-destination (41%) trips are considered travel advisor territory, and 34% of respondents said it’s important to engage an advisor for themed vacations like a culinary trip, theme park adventure, or historical tour,” the report said.
Although 37% of respondents engage travel advisors from the very beginning, most do their own research ahead of time, the report also noted.
Most travellers use advisors to book hotels and flights, as well as tours, activities, car rentals, and rely on them to understand travel insurance policies. Seventy per cent of respondents use advisors to book hotels, while 69% use them to book flights. Only 28% use experts to book cruises, but travel insurance policies and rental cars were cited by 34% and 33%, respectively, while 46% of respondents use advisors to book tours, activities and excursions.
Forty-four per cent of respondents used a single travel agency in the past two years, while a quarter of used three or more, and 28% said they made inquiries with at least three agencies.
Ninety-one per cent of respondents believe travel advisors have access to the best deals and promotions on the market, but 51% compare prices received from their advisors with what they find online.
Client retention, according to 57% of travellers, is likely to occur through great customer service, while 53% attributed loyalty to their advisors to strong communication on the latter’s behalf. Half of respondents reported loyalty to advisors who understand their needs, while 48% value knowledge and experience, and 47% citing good deals.
Fifty-six per cent of respondents prefer communicating with their advisors by phone, followed by 49% by email, 48% in person, 38% through messaging apps, and 19% via video.
The survey results also shine a light on how advisors can grow their book of clients. While recommendations through friends and family are the most popular way of travellers finding agents (32%), online searches (27%) and social media (14%) are more popular with younger travellers.
The survey found that younger people are taking more trips than average, with 28% of millennials and 20% of zoomers taking five or more trips in the last year.
