How Travel Agency can survive after covid-19 | Top 5 Things that Travel Agents can do in Lockdown.
The big question is How Travel Agency will survive after covid-19?
The coronavirus pandemic impact on India’s tourism sector is estimated at ₹5 lakh crore and job cuts for 4-5 crore people. Of the total losses, the organized sector in the industry – branded hotels, tour operators, travel agencies which are the mainstay of the sector – may be hit the hardest with an estimated loss of around ₹1.58 lakh crore, according to the Confederation of Indian Industry estimates. The industry body has said that branded hotel groups are set to lose as much as ₹1.10 lakh crore, online travel agencies ₹4,312 crores, tour operators (inbound and domestic) ₹25,000 crores, adventure tour operators ₹nearly 19,000 crores, and cruise tourism ₹419 crores.
Travel is no doubt the biggest casualty and things will be tough for all travel agents and tougher for smaller travel agents even after the lockdown is over. Normally, Travel Agents are consulted whenever there is group travel, a big event, or a long-distance journey; all such possibilities are very bleak in the coming months, however short distance travel to unique places, farm stays, boutique properties is something travelers might be keen. So How should a Travel Agent evolve ? or what should a Travel Agent do in the coming months to be relevant in the Travel Trade is something worth pondering.
Here are Top 5 things Travel Agents should do during & after lockdown on How Travel Agency will survive after covid-19?
- Organize your office: The beauty of lockdown is that you have time now and that too in abundance. This is the best time to plan up things, build email templates, product (hotel & experiences) presentations, slide shows, videos, etc. Work well on your communication strategy and plan your things keeping in mind two things – a lot of travel agents who will not plan now or have no vision will cease to exist & once the demand is back there will be few to service the demand – so plan for the boom in travel which is sure to come sooner or later.
- Explore & build a portfolio: The need for consumers will change and so should be the Travel Agent’s approach. A recent article on Conde Nast Traveller magazine highlights the pattern of travel demand post lockdown scenario which focuses more on domestic travel, short trip, boutique places, and off-beat destinations. Travel Agents should start building a product portfolio based on the changing demand for potential travelers.
- Online Reputation & Customer Engagement Strategy: Travel Agents should start formulating plans on how to keep his customer engaged & stay connected with them. It’s time to invest in CRM tools as most of these tools is available at a fraction of the cost or free. Start investing in your relationship with your existing and potential customers. Start building your online reputation by seeking feedback from your existing customers and build your Google business or Tripadvisor profile. The time invested in building your Online Reputation now will surely be going to give you long-term dividends.
- Invest time & money on social media: Before the lockdown, social media usage was on average 150 minutes per day. However, in the first week of lockdown, the figures jumped to 280 minutes per day, showed a survey. The survey added that 75 % of people were spending more time on Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp compared to the week before. People are spending so much time on social media and its an opportunity for all travel agents to be there where people are looking.
- Don’t Quit & Stay Afloat: No doubt this is the toughest time Travel Industry has faced to date and anybody in Travel Trade who is able to stay afloat for a year will reap rich dividends in the coming year. The absence of cash flow will force a lot of Travel Shops to shut down and give some breathing space in the already competitive Travel Trade. So cut your expenses, operate at a bare minimum cost, and stay afloat.
While everybody is worried about the uncertainty ahead and testing times for Travel Trade but like all bad times, this too shall pass and once over will usher a new growth path. Travel Agent’s best bet is to stay put, invest time & resources wisely, and wait for things to turn better.
If you are a Travel Agent and would like to contribute here, Contact us or do drop in some comments and we will inculcate the same in our blog.
The blog is written with inputs from MarketMyHotel Team