Comment: The ‘anyone can be an agent’ mentality is concerning

As a professional travel agent with too many years’ experience to declare, I must confess I find it extremely worrying to see how our industry is moving forward with the “anyone can be a travel agent” mentality.

Being a professional travel agent is not an easy job. It requires dedication, being on call 24/7 and possessing knowledge that potential clients value. That knowledge might be something that saves them time or money, or something that guarantees they will have a fantastic holiday.

Professional skills

Any travel agent worth their salt will get to know their clients, understand their needs, offer amazing options and look after them from start to finish. We are there when things go wrong before, during or after travel; we check all documents; and we help them with any extras they require. We have great relationships with our hotel partners and we check in with every client before they travel to ensure their holiday runs smoothly.

Being a professional travel agent is most definitely not a get-rich-quick option. I’m sure anyone who does this job to the level that’s expected will be nodding along right now! Margins are low and competition is high. Whether you are a high street agent, a homeworker, a call centre agent, an OTA, a hotel, airline or cruise line, we are all competing for the same client.

So, when we see adverts that entice people to join travel for a “side hustle”, or to “join the richest industry in the world”, or that say “you can do everything from your phone in an hour a day”, is it any wonder that real travel professionals are getting frustrated and concerned about the future of our industry here in the UK?

Our industry is also being tarred by scammers, who are setting up social media accounts with Gmail addresses but no credentials, and clients are falling for their low prices and parting with their hard-earned money only to realise too late that their money is lost. It’s a real concern, and something that could only get worse as technology becomes even more advanced.

Of course, it goes without saying we are all for welcoming new people into the industry who genuinely want to make a career in becoming a professional travel agent. At my company, we have our own Designer Travel academy and the programme is limited to fewer than 20 members per year. The academy offers a full one-year training course and mentoring from a senior manager who has vast amounts of travel industry knowledge.

But the low-cost entry models we are seeing more and more of are creating a way for individuals and many of our own clients to enter the industry purely to save on their own travel and to gain agent rates just for booking their own holidays or for a few family and friends. Is this really what we all want to stand for?

In our business, our professional travel experts are booking on average £475,000 of travel sales per year. Some are booking millions and some less, but everyone in our business has to earn any benefits. Whether it be fam trips, agent rates, on-locations, conferences or Touchdown deals, it’s really not fair to take advantage of these industry offers if you have no intention of paying back the provider with nothing more than your own booking.

Gold standard

I’ll end by saying to all professional travel agents out there: remember to be proud of your knowledge, be proud of your experience, be proud of your customer service skills, and ensure that you take every opportunity to tell your clients what you stand for and what makes you different.

Communicate your credentials, confirm that you have financial protection, let your clients know that you will be there for them when they need you and value your worth.

Great travel agents, even in this ever-changing marketplace, are worth their weight in gold.

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