TRAVELOCITY’s vice-president and general manager James Marsicano is in celebratory mood – the cyber travel agency has just revealed it raked in ú175m in 1998, more than double the previous year, and has just notched up two ú6.76m sales weeks worldwide.
He is less keen, however, to reveal how its UKsite, launched five months ago, is fairing. Figures available from rival Microsoft Expedia, however, show the UKmarket is significant. Expedia notched up ú2m in sales in its first three months after its launch last autumn.
Marsicano believes the growing on-line market doesn’t have to spell doom for the high-street agent.
“I do not understand why so many agents do not seem to be aware of the fact that millions of their customers are choosing to do business in a different manner.,” he said.
“Customers like picking their holiday at 10pm in the comfort of their homes so why don’t agents get an Internet site, show their clients what’s on offer, let them decide what they want and then encourage them on the site to come in to the shop to book it? I am bewildered by the attitude. It’s like they are not willing to face the fact that the world is changing and people are changing with it and its these people that will take their clients away.
“In the past, when they were standing in between technology advances and the consumer, they could get away with ignoring it. Now there is nothing between technology and the consumer so the consumer is going to take advantage of it.”
He believes that the future for travel agents lies also in added value. Agents should use the Internet to package together information about destinations, hotels, car hire etc and sell on this basis to the consumer.
“We encourage people to use agents. On our site you can type in the agent you usually use who will then do the administration involved and get the commission or if you don’t know an agent, there is a facility for you to type in your postcode and we will find the nearest to you.”
Travelocity uses Hillgate Travel for ticketing and follow-up enquiries as a default agency. In addition there are 200 UK agents used for back-up services by Travelocity and commission is being made, said Marsicano.
“There’s always someone who wants to involve an agent when they’re using Travelocity. Agents can sign up and use that business.”
Certainly food for thought when predictions estimate that the global on-line travel market will be worth ú230m by 2003.