The new peer-to-peer phenomenon creeping into travel is “a hard pill for agents to swallow”, according to Hoseasons managing director Simon Altham.
Speaking at Abta’s Travel Convention in Slovenia, where delegates heard sessions on the growth of a new ‘shared economy’, which features brands like HouseTrip or Airbnb, Altham said: “These new start-ups are effectively saying that travel agents aren’t needed and the public is just going to deal with other members of the public, which is tough to hear.
“But this is actually a huge opportunity for agents. Travel agents can talk about customer service and taking the hassle out of the search and offer trust and reassurance. There is an element, especially if it’s a family booking, where they will want someone they trust to speak to.”
Altham also said agents could take advantage of the trend towards peer-to-peer by making their service feel like peer-to-peer for their customers, by using the experience of other customers who had become advocates of a particular brand or holiday.
His comments followed a session by Marie Stafford, planning foresight director for marketing agency JWT London, who told delegates its research had found 36% of people have tried a peer-to-peer service, up from 22% last year, and 72% said they were interested in trying it soon. Among millennials, 55% had tried it.
She said: “They are early adopters. Maybe it’s time to embrace it. Why not create your own versions of these services?
“We are shifting more towards a sharing culture, partly driven by social media. Also, who we trust is changing. Half of people would rather trust another person than a business,” she said.
But addressing the operators and agents in the audience, she added: “Peace of mind is something you as a business can really offer. It’s more reassuring doing business with you rather than a stranger. But a hint of peer-to-peer is something that can make people see your brand in a new light.”