'There is great opportunity ahead for agents,' says InteleTravel chief
“We’ve had to fight to achieve legitimacy in this industry,” a buoyant James Ferrara tells TTG moments after addressing InteleTravel’s Our Time To Shine conference in Malaga.
The homeworking firm’s co-founder and president is keen to list the InteleTravel’s notable achievements over the past five years since it first entered the UK market.
Having Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer address more than 400 InteleTravel agents at the conference is one such coup. “People were suspicious of us at the beginning, but Abta was professional and accepted us,” Ferrara continues.
“We fought for two years to get our membership. We’re proud to be an Abta member and having Mark here is another indication of our size. We’re grateful for his support. I think we make a very important contribution to the UK travel community."
It has been another impressive year for InteleTravel. On stage, Ferrara reported UK turnover of £95 million in 2023, which represents a 50% hike on last year. The company has also recorded a 50% increase in average transaction value, taking the total to £1,500.
Global turnover, meanwhile, is forecast to hit $850 million by the end of the year. “We’re very close to being a billion-dollar operation," Ferrara confirms.
Any rapidly expanding business requires constant investment, and InteleTravel is no different.
During the first quarter of 2024, InteleTravel’s more than 16,500 UK agents – plus another 500 in Ireland – can expect to see the launch of an InteleTravel mobile app and a rewards programme. The new platforms were previewed out in Malaga at the weekend.
InteleTravel bosses are still debating the reward programme’s name, but Ferrara is pushing for it to be called “IntelePerks”. The name could be decided by a vote, Ferrara tells TTG.
Ferrara insists the programme’s purpose has been decided, even if the name has not. “Agents can earn points for simply paying their maintenance fees on time or selling a certain type of holiday in a particular month,” he explains.
“They will have a wallet full of currency and they can redeem this currency for travel or consumer goods. It’s really powerful. We’ve seen it from airlines and hotel chains, but it’s not so common with retail agencies.”
Making AI work for agents
The app, meanwhile, "will enable agents to book travel and complete certain business processes", says Ferrara.
“InteleTravel agents will be able to access existing customers’ bookings through the app or start a new booking," he continues. "Everything is simplified with buttons and an easy-to-use menu. The app will be available on Apple and Android phones.”
There’s no question Ferrara understands the power of technology. “I’m a huge believer,” he says. “Everything we do for our agents is designed to help them sell more. The proof is in our incredible results.”
Ferrara reveals InteleTravel is exploring whether artificial intelligence (AI) can make agents’ jobs easier. “Right now, we’re looking at AI and applying it to the business processes, like commission payments or search results,” he explains. “We’re not using AI to help deliver search results for customers but for the travel advisors.
“Agents will then curate and improve that information to suit their customers’ needs. This is because the technology is not currently able to do that.”
Ferrara moves quickly to allay any concerns agents may have about being replaced by an AI chatbot. “We will never replace our travel agents with AI, but another agency using AI may replace our agents,” he insists.
Away from tech, TTG presses Ferrara on whether InteleTravel will invest more time and money in its vetting procedures after fraudster Lyne Barlow, who was jailed earlier this year after defrauding hundreds of holidaymakers in a multi-million pound scam, briefly joined the homeworking group.
Ferrara insists it is the wider industry that needs to review its processes. “I don’t think there was a vetting issue,” he argues. “We already vet our agents – they go through background checks and we have very sophisticated tools. There’s a compliance issue in travel.
“It’s difficult, even for seasoned travel professionals, to understand Atol or the Package Travel Regulations. They are moving targets because they change all the time. Compliance is very important.”
Ferrara admits because of InteleTravel’s huge community, there will always be a chance that “some” fraudulent agents will try to join its ranks. “It’s all about how we respond,” he insists.
Ferrara branded fraudulent travel agents “a disease”. “They start with one consortium and then move around,” he says. “The industry has to do a better job to stop that happening. We have to share this information about people who come into our communities with that intention. Some people do commit fraud. Fraud is a huge issue.”
’Great opportunity’
Despite issues such as fraud, the fallout from the pandemic and conflict in mainland Europe and the Middle East, Ferrara believes it is “a great time to be a travel agent”. “The DNA of travellers has changed,” he notes. “The respect travellers have for agents is higher than it has been for a long time.
“People will give up everything else before they give up their holiday. We do not see these wars affecting bookings at all. We have to be mindful of the terrible situation around the world, but travel is an antidote for all the ills around the world.
“There’s a great opportunity ahead for travel advisors.”
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