ALMOST 60% of the public have no preference for a particular travel agent and one quarter do not see any value in the service offered by agents, according to new research unveiled at the ABTAconvention.
The Agent of the Future survey, conducted by global distribution system supplier Amadeus and jointly sponsored byABTA, reveals interesting trends. The research was carried out among 200 consumers and 200 travel agents and used a variety of medium, including face-to-face interviews and questionnaires.
Of the consumers surveyed, 58% have no preference for a particular agent and 13% never use an agent.
Some 72% see a value in the service offered by travel agents but there is very little customer loyalty, with only 20% showing allegiance to a particular brand.
Customers also seem to be coming round to the idea of having to pay a booking fee for services provided by travel agents, with 29% accepting that a charge is payable.
Pay is a major concern among agents. Some 52.6% of staff predicted they will earn lower basic salaries and higher commissions in the next five years although only 7% agreed with this stance.
Agents seem to have shaken off their fear that the Internet is a threat to their livelihood. The survey shows that agents are predicting the Internet will increase their sales by almost 6% over the next five years, offsetting any decline caused by a rise in on-line direct sales by airlines.