Amadeus travel agent survey: technology and personalized service will be critical to serving future travelers
Tomorrow's "traveler tribes" will also benefit from "humanization" of travel technologies from booking to baggage
Today at the THETRADESHOW 2007, Amadeus North America unveiled the results of its new online survey of members of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and THETRADESHOW 2007 pre-registered travel agent attendees. The survey explored what travel and technology might look like in the future and what changes could mean for travel professionals.
According to the survey, 88 percent of travel agents said, in the future, technology will be more important than it is today or absolutely critical to their success. They also
"Based on our survey results, it is evident that technology will have a significant impact on the travel experience and the evolution of professional agents that facilitiate it,” said Bob Lowry, Senior Vice President of Products and Support for Amadeus North America. "But it is also clear that for travel agents, a 'high touch' expert approach will be as important as ever in the decade to come."
Lowry said Amadeus has been exploring who, how and why we will travel in the future and the role technology will play. Amadeus North America conducted this survey to gain insight from travel agents about their clients, their business and their technology needs in the next 10-15 years.
Respondents answered 10 survey questions to provide insight on the specific technologies they believe will affect their businesses and the innovations their clients will want to enhance the travel experience.
When asked what travel technologies they thought would most excite their clients over the next 10 to 15 years, agents' top picks were: 1) micro-chip equipped baggage handling and tracking; 2) fingerprint or iris recognition airport security clearance; and 3) self-service technology.
Respondents said the technology innovations that would be most important to their future business growth were: 1) advanced search capabilities, 2) desktop productivity tools, 3) dynamic packaging and 4) advanced agency Internet presence.
"The survey findings highlight that agents recognize the need to stay current with the technology needs of their clients as well as those of their profession," said Lowry. “The face of today’s traveler is continuously evolving and agents who can adapt will see greater success as a result."
In addition to querying agents about the importance of technology, Amadeus has also showcased four categories of travelers that will likely impact travel agents in the future. Amadeus’ Future Traveler Tribes 2020 report examines major consumer and technology travel trends and pinpoints four traveler groups -- Active Seniors, Cosmopolitan Commuters, Global Executives and Global Clans -- that will have the greatest impact on the travel industry. When asked about these four “tribes," survey respondents believed that Global Clans, i.e. multi-generational/family travelers, will have the greatest effect on their business growth in the next decade.
Future Traveler Tribes 2020 also explores the relation of technology to the varied needs of travelers of the future. The “humanization” of technology was identified as a key factor in how the travel industry can deliver a travel experience that is more intuitive and responsive to consumers’ changing needs.
"Regardless of the traveler type, technology will play a major role in meeting customer expectations," said Lowry. "It is important that all of us in the travel industry understand and evolve to serve these future travelers, whatever their profile and needs. "
EDITOR’S NOTES: Bob Lowry unveiled the full travel agent survey results during his industry session presentation, “Travel Tech 2020: What the Future Holds for Travel Agents & Their Customers,” on September 11th at THETRADESHOW 2007 conference in
The Amadeus travel agent online survey was fielded from
Amadeus' Future Traveler Tribes 2020 report can be downloaded at www.amadeus.com/travellertribes.
About Amadeus
Amadeus is the chosen technology partner for providers, sellers, and buyers of travel. The company provides distribution, IT and point-of-sale solutions to help its customers adapt, grow and succeed in the fast-changing travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (airlines, hotels, car rental companies, railway companies, ferry lines, cruise lines, insurance companies and tour operators), travel sellers (travel agencies) and travel buyers (corporations and travelers). Solutions are grouped in four solution categories – Distribution & Content, Sales & e-Commerce, Business Management and Services & Consulting.
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