Comment: Agents more key than ever for families

It is apparent some clients are seeking additional support amid sustained demand, says Travel Weekly’s Lucy Huxley

The family market is critical to many travel companies’ strategies and there has been a particularly sharp focus on it during this year’s peaks.

In the initial period after the pandemic there was a surge in activity from customers who had money in the bank and pent-up desire to get away – often in groups spanning multiple generations.

But as I have written often in this column in the years since, there was always going to come a time when pressure on household budgets meant family bookings in the mainstream market could not be taken for granted.

Reports from the trade suggest momentum has largely been maintained despite some ups and downs during January and February, and there is certainly no sense of panic.

But it is also apparent that some families are seeking additional support before committing to their bookings, and there is no better place to find that guidance and expertise than with a travel agent. We hope this family holidays themed edition of Travel Weekly, supported by Atlantis, The Palm, gives you even more tools to secure that crucial business and ensure 2025 is another successful year for the trade.

Also in this week’s issue, we hear from Travel Village Group boss Phil Nuttall, who has raised concerns about the pressure being placed on business development managers.

It’s clear that most BDMs love their jobs and building relationships with agency partners, but Phil believes an increasingly hectic schedule is having a detrimental effect on them. As always, we’d love to hear your views.

Comment originally from Travel Weekly March 6 edition