There is still a future for the traditional high street travel agency, Hays Travel managing director John Hays said at the Barclays Travel Forum last week.
He said the Internet will not bring the death of independent agents but revealed the market on the high street is changing.
He said: “I believe in the future of the independent high street. It’s not a growing market, it is a changing market.”
“We started refitting shops in bright modern colours. They have worked very well for us.”
He said one of the problems for travel agents is the Big Two have been good at getting their margins right by cutting capacity. He said: “If you’re dependent on having late stock at a good price in the late market that does have an effect.”
He said dynamic packaging was a growing part of Hays’ business.