The Big Question: Is it time to rebrand the travel agent?
James ChappleThe value of personal service to consumers came to the fore during the pandemic. Now, in 2024, does the term "travel agent" accurately convey what they do, and how much baggage does it still carry with it?
Here at TTG, we know the frank exchange of views drives progress. Our monthly Big Question feature continues in July with an often discussed, – but rarely contested – topic, namely what should travel agents be called in 2024? And whose responsibility is it to change – or perhaps more accurately update – the public perception of the “travel agent”?
We all know travel agents are, do and offer so much more than whatever it is that term conjures up. Today, agents are multi-modal, omni-channel, borderline miracle-working dream merchants who pull out all the stops for their clients, and continue to defy the myth that the advent of personal computers, the internet and AI would kill them off once and for all.
But there has long been a feeling held among a significant number of agents that their professionalism, expertise and diligence goes undervalued – by consumers, politicians, the media and, if we’re being truly honest, some sections of the travel sector and perhaps even the agent sector itself.
Speaking at the Advantage Travel Partnership conference in May, chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said said she wasn’t a fan of the term “travel agent”, telling TTG there was a gap between the public perception of their role and the service they deliver, and the reality, one often mired in the past.
While agents remain a high street mainstay, the way in which they run their businesses has diversified massively: now, an “agent” can work from just about anywhere at any time. Yet this flexibility and entrepreneurial spirit has, at best, been captured in the term “homeworker”, which many feel doesn’t accurately represent them either.
So what should agents be called going forwards? We turned to four experts, including Lo Bue-Said, for their thoughts – and for them to come up with a suggestion of their own.
What do you think? Join in the debate in the comments below, or email feedback@ttgmedia.com. Alternatively, head to one of TTG’s social media channels to get involved.
‘So much skill and curation goes into creating holidays’
The term “travel agent” is outdated and no longer captures the full scope of what today’s travel consultants do.
In any other context, the term “agent” implies representative, which barely scratches the surface when it comes to what most travel agents do for their customers. There is so much skill and curation that goes into creating their holidays. Most consultants – in-store or homeworking – will tailor ideal holidays, often anticipating what the customer wants before they realise themselves.
“Agent” simply doesn’t do the complexity of the job justice. It requires years of trained skill, accumulation of knowledge and real-world experience, and time to cultivate trusted relationships with customers – the same as those they have with other skilled professionals such as mortgage advisors.
When we named the Personal Travel Consultants (PTCs) in Partnership with Blue Bay Travel, we considered many different titles before deciding this was the right fit. We believe our choice of consultant embodies personal service while also conveying the professionalism which more accurately characterises the modern-day travel agent.
In an era where consumers have abundant holiday booking options and holidays rank as consumers’ third biggest spending consideration, it makes sense that the role of agents should be seen as a professional service in the same way a mortgage advisor would be consulted about a house.
Travel agent roles are pivotal, and often require crisis management skills, such as navigating natural disasters, major weather events and other unexpected circumstances involving elements of an overland, flight-inclusive or cruise package.
At Blue Bay Travel, we have raised the starting salaries of our employed personal travel advisors to reflect their specialist knowledge. PTCs, meanwhile, are effectively business owners in their own right, with strong earning potential. Their role mustn’t be underestimated.
Abbie Heaton is group manager of The Personal Travel Consultants in Partnership with Blue Bay Travel.
‘Why are we not perceived as experts and influencers in our field?’
I’m not sure if it’s a result of spending 12 years stewing in my own juices over the term “homeworker”, but I actually rather enjoy the bland, matter-of-factness of a job title which does exactly what it says on the tin.
The term “travel agent” has existed since the 1800s. One definition reads: “A person engaged in selling and arranging transportation, accommodation, tours or trips for travellers.” Sounds good to me.
The bigger problem, in my view, is the public’s perception of the services travel agents provide. Why is our time not valued? Why are we not perceived as experts and influencers in our field? Why does the average punter think it’s OK to suck up our time, knowledge and hard work only to play us off against each other, or just take their business elsewhere?
So how do we change the way we are perceived? Firstly, let’s stop dressing our retail colleagues as cabin crew – nothing says “please use and abuse me” quite like a neck scarf and fully logoed blouse.
Secondly, we should introduce minimum standards of competence. It’s frightening how many folk in the industry still cannot grasp the new EU passport rules, for instance. Finally, we need to educate our clients, and consumers more widely, about what it is travel agents are and what they do. That’s on us.
For giggles, I asked AI to come up with some creative alternative job titles for us – how about “journey jugglers”? Or “odyssey organisers”? Maybe “passage planners”, or even “wanderlust wizards”. I could go on...
Me? I call myself an independent travel expert, and I’m happy to continue doing so.
Jo Shayler-Tarrant is an independent travel expert with Travel Counsellors.
‘We’re therapists, assistants and sometimes even miracle workers’
I believe it’s time travel agents were given recognition for the expert, professional service they provide.
To achieve this, we need to revolutionise the way we’re seen, and there’s no more egregious example of how we’re misrepresented than being billed “independent travel agents”.
While this might have made sense in the 1990s and early 2000s, I don’t believe younger generations understand what this means, and it’s up to us to be more relatable as experts if we’re going to grow in the future.
We’re no longer defined by where or how we work – our business models have changed and converged, and we all have the same goal of providing a great service for clients. A traditional high street agent doesn’t have to be any different than one working from home – times have changed.
What we do now goes far beyond simply booking holidays. We’re therapists, assistants and sometimes even miracle workers. What is – rightly – demanded of us is much more than even just a few years ago.
Unlike similar businesses, estate agents, for example, we are not solely transactional – our clients come back to us year after year because they rely on our expert advice and seek the reassurance of dealing with a human face-to-face. They even become our friends.
I would like to see a more generic approach to defining who we are.
I propose travel professionals. The traditional travel agent is perceived to be continually battling for the lowest price. We need to elevate our profile to a new level where we can be confident charging for the service we provide.
Ashley Quint is a director of Berkhamsted independent agency TravelTime World.
‘The role has evolved, the profession is now so much more dynamic’
The origins of the travel agent as a profession can be traced back to the pioneering efforts of Thomas Cook. Cook started organising package tours in the 1840s, laying the groundwork for what we now recognise as the modern travel agent.
Since those early days, the role has evolved extensively; the profession is now so much more dynamic, and requires a multitude of skills.
Today, agents not only offer personalised assistance throughout the whole process of planning and booking holidays, business trips and other experiences, they also provide expert advice on destinations, transport, accommodation and activities based on each traveller’s individual preferences, while considering affordability and securing the best deals. They are also on hand to provide expert support for when things go wrong.
In this ever-changing digital world, we are also seeing travel agents become more tech-savvy using social media to maximise their profile and taking on the role of influencers, inspiring their followers to seek their next trip.
At Advantage, we have worked hard over the past few years to raise the profile of the travel agent, and we believe the role is more well-known than ever.
However, is it now time to rebrand the profession to reflect agents' role as experts, professional, influencers – people inspiring people others to travel, while keeping one eye firmly on duty of care.
I would love to know if travel agents feel it’s time for a change, to come up with a name that better reflects the agent of today and the future?
If there is an appetite, let’s look at the possibilities. With National Travel Agents Day coming up in September, perhaps this could provide a great platform for a relaunch.
Julia Lo Bue-Said is chief executive of agent consortium the Advantage Travel Partnership.
The Big Question by TTG
The Big Question is a monthly feature from TTG taking on some of the burning issues facing travel through expert commentary, insight and debate. While it's not designed to be adversarial, it won't flinch from placing a spotlight on some often uncomfortable topics travel – like it or not – will one day have to reckon with.
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James Chapple
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