While consulting a travel adviser before embarking on a trip may seem ‘old school’, some agents believe there is a trend where increasingly younger travellers are turning to professional consultants for expert advice before travel.
“There’s definitely a trend that was already building pre-COVID for younger travellers to return to travel agents,” says Danielle Lubbe, Head of Marketing at WOLO Travel, a travel agency aimed at enticing younger travellers.
Lubbe believes the onset of COVID-19 spurred on the trend, due to complex travel restrictions and increased uncertainty about entry regulations.
“Younger travellers are looking for upfront inclusions, unique experiences and a process that is as simple as online shopping,” she says. “There will always be a solid number of younger travellers booking with agents if what you’re offering is relevant and affordable. Many of them are drawing their inspiration from platforms such as Instagram and TikTok and we’re seeing this in our enquiry trends.”
Indeed, according to a recent brand audit run by Flight Centre South Africa, the main reason listed by participants for turning to a travel agent was the need for expert advice when planning trips.
While Flight Centre South Africa discontinued its Student Flights brand some years ago, it has not ditched its youth-oriented offerings altogether.
The Student Flights brand ended when the Flight Centre Travel Group merged the brand Flight Centre Business Travel with Corporate Traveller. This allowed the group to commit financial resources, as well as people resources, to the three large brands under the group umbrella. However, Flight Centre acquired Student Universe, which is an online Student offering based in Boston.
“The brand now operates out of Australia, the US and the UK. At this stage, however, we have no plans to bring the brand to South Africa in the immediate future,” Sue Garrett, GM Supply, Pricing and Marketing at the Flight Centre Travel Group South Africa, told Travel News.
