First findings from Travel Weekly Insight Report underline the value placed on agents’ expertise and service, says Lucy Huxley
One of the best things about working in travel is the people you get to meet, and I am delighted that this week’s edition of Travel Weekly celebrates one of its true characters.
Since starting her career with Qantas in 1965, Bryony Hordern has witnessed almost six decades of change in our industry, yet her passion remains as great now as it has ever been.
I vividly remember presenting Bryony with an outstanding contribution trophy at the Agent Achievement Awards in 2015.
And now, almost 10 years later, we have the privilege of featuring her once again on our front page as one of the winners of our Cover Stars competition.
As Bryony says, it is never too late to learn about new products and destinations, and it is this thirst for knowledge and desire to support customers that ensures travel agents continue to be in such demand.
As we report this week, early-year optimism has largely been maintained into February, while the first findings of exclusive customer research for the 2024 Travel Weekly Insight Report also give cause for optimism, with demand for packages through the trade appearing to outstrip the rebound of direct bookings.
As always, we’ll be delving into the findings of the report over the coming weeks, and we are grateful to Deloitte and Service Science for their continued support of this essential publication.
If you would like to take advantage of this free resource to help your own business planning, you can download a copy now by clicking here.