Agents say educationals are sorely lacking in 2024.
In a recent poll, Travel News asked whether suppliers were conducting enough educationals or familiarisation trips to ensure that agents understood their products; 92% of respondents said ‘no’.
Joanne Visagie, Sales and Marketing Director of Beachcomber SA, believes that while the increasing cost of accommodation and airfares is certainly a consideration, the value of educationals to both suppliers and agents is worth it.
“A client is also so much more at ease knowing their travel agent is an expert and has experienced the product, thus can advise well and share personal intel on it,” says Visagie.
Bridget Esterhuizen, Senior Travel Consultant at 360 Degrees Travel, says educationals greatly impact an agent’s ability to sell a product.
“If you’ve seen a product, you can sell it a lot better and recommend it because you’ve experienced it. You’re able tell clients if the rooms are big or small or, if it’s great for kids or better for adults,” she says.
Visagie agrees that nothing compares with having the hands-on experience that educationals provide because it creates confidence in knowledge of a destination and travel products, which reassures agents’ clients.
Educationals also offer agents and suppliers the opportunity to network and develop relationships where both parties benefit. Educationals don’t just foster relationships between agents and suppliers; they also allow agents to network among themselves and identify specialists for different products based on individual experiences, says a Johannesburg-based agent who wished to remain anonymous. This, she says, is often developed through familiarisation trips.
Emilene Rangayah, Director of Emilene’s Travel Services, points out, however, that suppliers of accommodations and tourist destinations are still recovering after the global pandemic. As a result, many may not be able to afford to host agents.
Great return
Vanya Lessing, CEO of the Sure Travel Group, feels that for agents to sell travel, they should have the opportunity to travel.
“Travel should not only be a desk job. To be passionate about a career in the industry, consultants must experience all facets of travel. Cost is a factor but it is a necessary investment,” says Lessing.
The anonymous agent expresses a similar sentiment but says that it is important to choose agents who will absorb the experience and identify the unique qualities of different suppliers. She highlights that one of the pitfalls of educationals is that they may overwhelm agents with information and rushed tours, so developing a comprehensive itinerary is key.
One of the traits of a successful educational, she says, is that the itinerary must be well planned to avoid rushing. It should also allow agents to stay at a hotel or in a destination for at least two days to form an accurate impression of its unique features.
Finally, Visagie recommends using educationals as an incentive for top-performing agents as they are more likely to sell on the product or destination and ensure future returns.
