For decades headlines have predicted the fall of the travel agent as the proliferation of online booking options has risen. But never before has the value of a Travel Management Company (TMC) and the expertise of its advisors been clearer. During the chaos of the pandemic, businesses turned to their TMCs to help them manage the unpredictable travel landscape and keep their travellers safe. And travellers leaned on travel advisors’ expertise to navigate the barrage of restrictions and travel bans. Today delayed flights, cancelled routes, hours at check-in and longer customer support hold times are common issues that travellers face. Now, more than ever, you need the help of an expert you can trust to manage the travel landmines that lay of ahead of every trip.

If you thought travel consultants were only there to book a ticket, you are in for a surprise. Travel advisors have taken on a more complex role – part psychologist, trip coach, executive producer, problem fixer, and travel companion – they are a vital link in the value chain.

Since January 2022, we have added more than 100 consultants and other customer-supporting professionals to our workforce to solve the talent crisis. As we scale back up, we are looking for skills that are a fit for the modern consultant. We’re hiring thoughtfully and recruiting candidates diverse in background, skillset, professional experience and ways of thinking.

We’re investing in people and processes to deliver the high level of service that clients and their travellers expect, and that we demand of ourselves.

To free our experts up to provide travellers with the care and personal support they need, we support our consultants with a range of technologies.

We’ve focussed on improving the travel experience through TripSource® enhancements. We have simplified the agent workflow by introducing a new point-of-sale desktop application.

Here are other digital solutions focused on improving the travel experience:

• Real-time flight notifications via TripSourcewhich are a critical requirement as airlines continue to change schedules and routes. Notifications are pushed directly to the travellers’ mobile device so they’re aware of changes as they happen and can modify arrangements accordingly.
• Integrated profiles at the point of service identify travellersso our agents can anticipate needs and readily access personal preferences.
• Our soon-to-be-released ticket tracking technology identifies the status of all ticketsand facilitates usage and refunds for online and offline tickets.
• Our soon to be released nonrefundable ticket API which helped address the overwhelming number of nonrefundable tickets that came along with the pandemic.
• We support new client onboarding with automation that reduces rework so that we’re ready for ticketing when our clients are.

But while technology is a vital enabler of a better service, the value of human connection cannot be underestimated. Travel is after all a personal experience, and people are the most vital component in a service industry – let us not forget that.