Barrhead Travel’s Jacqueline Dobson says agents will need to work hard to maximise clients’ budgets
It’s still hard to comprehend that we are about to move into 2025. December has usually been the calm before the January storm, but I’m not sure there is ever a complete calm in travel these days.
The snap cold weather has encouraged a strong late market season, while Black Friday brought a rush of interest as people took advantage of some incredible savings.
I do maintain that, despite travel bookings enjoying momentum year-round, January is still the golden month for business – and we are gearing up for one of the biggest peak seasons yet. Part of preparing for next year is taking stock of what learnings we’re going to take forward. Although some of our plans are specific to Barrhead Travel, there are some thoughts I’d like to share based on what I think would be relevant for the industry to adopt in 2025.
We all know 2025 won’t be plain sailing for businesses or customers. We are past referring to the cost-of-living ‘crisis’ – the cost of living is now an ongoing economic climate. We can’t escape the fact that costs are rising both for businesses and consumers. But what we do have in our favour is the fact that people are safeguarding their holidays and prioritising travel when it comes to non-essential spend.
This means holidays are prized more than ever. Holiday aspirations and expectations are also higher, so agents will have to work hard to ensure that clients’ budgets are maximised. Over the past few years we’ve learnt that for most consumers it’s not so much a matter of being cost-conscious as value‑conscious. This is true at all points of the budget spectrum – people want more for their money and to feel like they’re getting a great deal.
Joint efforts
Agents and travel suppliers will need to work closer than ever to make sure that what they’re promoting is right for their market and can inspire even the most intrepid traveller.
When we’re talking about adding value to a holiday booking, the benefits of using a travel agent should not be underestimated. I do think that across the agent community, there is still a tendency to undersell ourselves.
There has been a marked evolution of the travel agent in the past decade, especially over the past five years.
Managing all aspects of clients’ demands is not easy, particularly when itineraries are becoming increasingly complex and the choice of travel is greater than ever.
Promoting agents
In 2025, I would like to see our industry collectively strengthening its message about booking with agents, and that includes supplier messaging. Some promote agents really well, but I think it’s incumbent upon all suppliers who work with the trade to promote booking their product with travel agents.
My final thought for going into 2025 is about personalisation. With the rise of AI in consumer services, people are more switched on about distinguishing interactions with real people from content that is automated or driven by bots.
I think that from next year, people will be more attracted to businesses that can demonstrate genuine personalisation across their services – whether that’s tailored marketing or through customer service.
It’s going to be even more important to really get to know your customers and what type of experiences make them tick, so you can suggest holiday itineraries that make those clients feel as if they were made just for them. Let AI and automation technology allow your business to become more efficient, so you can focus on offering higher-quality services and more attention to detail.
All in all, despite the challenges that may lie ahead in 2025, I believe next year is going to be a terrific year for the travel industry. At Barrhead Travel, we’ll be celebrating 50 years in business as well, so it’s set to be a landmark year. I can’t wait to see where it will take us.