The boss of WTM London has called travel agents “the unsung heroes of the pandemic”, as research by the event shows some holidaymakers are more likely to book trips with agencies.
Research released on Monday (November 1) – the first day of the three-day WTM London event – shows that confusion around Covid-19 travel regulations is pushing holidaymakers in certain parts of the country towards travel agents.
Londoners are the most likely to turn to travel professionals, with more than one in five saying they will use an agent from now on, reveals the WTM Industry Report.
When asked “Has the confusion around travel caused by the pandemic made you more likely to book future holidays through a travel agent?”, 22% of Londoners said they were ‘more likely’ to do so, closely followed by 18% in Scotland and Wales.
Meanwhile, 12% of respondents from Yorkshire and Humberside and 13% from the northeast and southeast (outside London) said they’d be more likely to use a travel agent, according to the report of 1,000 UK consumers.
Simon Press, WTM London exhibition director, said: “The research results are good news for travel agents. WTM London has been saying for a long time that travel agents are here to stay.
“Travel agents have been the unsung heroes of the pandemic – working for months on end without pay, rebooking, refunding and reorganising people’s dream holidays.
More: Consumers on both sides of Atlantic turning to agents
“They’ve also had to keep on top of the constantly changing rules – not only which countries are, or were, on the green, amber or red list, but also whether those countries are actually open to UK visitors and whether they are on the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)’s list of ‘safe’ destinations.
“In addition, agents are having to keep up with the rules on Covid tests and entry requirements for individual countries. No wonder agents tell us all they are working harder than ever before.
“The fact that people are understanding and appreciating agents’ worth is great to see.”
The WTM Industry Report also found that holidaymakers are four times as likely to book a package than a sharing-economy stay for next year.
Almost a third (32%) of those thinking about an overseas holiday in 2022 are most likely to book a package holiday, compared to 8% who will book through a sharing economy site, such as Airbnb.
Press added: “The Covid pandemic has undoubtedly had an impact on people’s choices on what type of accommodation they feel comfortable booking, with package holiday companies pushing the benefits of Atol protection and flexible bookings.”
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