Travel agents in South Africa say feeling valued for their knowledge and expertise is the one aspect of their jobs they love most.
This was the most prominent response in a new industry poll by Travel News.
Of the 187 responses to the poll, 34% said feeling respected for their knowledge and expertise was something they really enjoyed about their job following the pandemic; 19% said what they most loved about their jobs right now was socialising with peers – going out and mixing with colleagues at industry functions.
The following each got 16% of the vote:
- We are making more money than before, and we have stabilised our business;
- We love working in an office amid the camaraderie of our co-workers; and
- We have a new client base of leisure travellers willing to pay our fees.
Otto de Vries, Asata CEO, said the results were telling and agreed that COVID-19 seemed to have relieved many travel agents from feelings of imposter syndrome (which is generally defined as doubting your abilities or feeling like a fraud).
“Historically,” he said, “the primary form of revenue came from commissions from suppliers. For a very long time, that (imposter syndrome) was embedded in the DNA of travel consultants. The term imposter syndrome is very appropriate.”
He added that the COVID pandemic had given agents a chance to shine, show their value and improve feelings of self-worth. “What a great place for travel advisers to be! These people are feeling confident! And all that can do is drive up their revenue opportunities and their sense of value that much more.
“You have a new client base of leisure travellers willing to pay a fee. The important thing now is to keep driving that value proposition.”
De Vries also found it encouraging that agents wanted to get back to work functions. “People are no longer taking the opportunities for granted. Certainly, if I were a supplier, a destination management company or an organisation, I would say: ‘Maybe we need to do roadshows.’ Consultants are keen to get out.”
Bianca Mazur, Flight Centre Travel Group South Africa GM, said: “COVID-19 was a massive reset for the travel industry and truly shone a spotlight on what travel agents bring to the table. Prior to COVID, there seemed to be a tug-of-war between booking online and traditional travel agencies. Although both co-exist, our customers appreciate the tremendous support they received during COVID and have admitted that they would not have known where to start in re-booking travel, or applying for refunds or vouchers.”
Mazur said consultants had also played a key role in repatriation efforts during the pandemic, and recalled how many customers had turned to Flight Centre for help, with no idea where else to start.
“Fast-forward to a post-COVID world and customers understand the value of having a travel agent at their side, guiding and supporting them with the complexities of travel,” she said.
Flight Centre has also seen flexibility become more important in the workplace in order to keep consultants happy.
Nonetheless, Mazur said: “Our people love being back in the office, and in-person connection can never be replaced. Flight Centre has a strong culture and our people and customers are at the heart of this.”
Why we love travel
Aside from the camaraderie and networking opportunities coming back to the industry, agents who have stayed in the game are also generally making more money.
Gary Mulder, Club Travel CEO, said: “I agree that customers will see the value in what the retail travel sector brings, now more than ever. I just hope they don't forget that again when things normalise. I also believe that, although airfares are probably too high now and will come down a bit as capacity increases, the fee charged by agents as a percentage of the total travel cost is lower now and perhaps not as much cause for question by customers.
“It really is fantastic to engage as an industry again in person and in the office and I am pleased that most consultants and staff are embracing this. The last two years have been lonely and a lot of the reason why we are all in this industry (to have fun and the ability to travel) was absent,” said Mulder.
“A perfect storm was created and we are incredibly grateful that travel is back!” said Mazur. “So much so, that we are trying to keep up with the demand. Our business is going from strength to strength, which means that our people are earning well and being rewarded after a very tough COVID period.”
She added that connection and collaboration were key in the retail travel industry.
“It’s all about the relationships we build. It has been a breath of fresh air being able to see partners, colleagues and friends in person again. One of the most challenging aspects of COVID was being separated for so long. You can only do so many Zoom meetings after all! We are a very social bunch, and I know that our people are loving being out and about again with their industry peers.”
