Social Media and Marketing

A survey initiated by Amadeus in the UK has indicated that 40 percent of travel agencies are yet to integrate social media into their working practices.

It was found that  52 percent of those surveyed said that they had dealt with customers who had obtained travel advice through social media before consulting a travel agency.Also, 67 percent of respondents stated they would make use of social media to inform their own choice of hotel and travel provider. However, company-managed aspects of social media were uniformly praised. Sixty-four percent stated that social media channels are employed within their company to engage with existing customers. In all, 60 percent of agencies are using social media to generate new business.

Many agents are still skeptical of the validity of information obtained from social media sites, according to Amadeus.

“However, one of the principal barriers seems to be the sheer amount of data available online. Travel agents have a key role to play here in accessing this information and using it to provide specialist knowledge and insight,” said Rob Golledge, head of Marketing and Communications, Amadeus UK .

“Travel agencies have been quick to identify the positives that come from using social media to engage with customers and generate new business. Our research shows that many acknowledge the potential role which social media can play in the travel industry. But if it is to play a significant role in the booking process, companies need to be able to extract useful and trustworthy information,” added Golledge.

Role of Technology

Earlier this year, in a poll featuring travel agents in Asia, it was found that 96.4 percent of agents were unanimous in their agreement that technology has completely revolutionised the way they conduct their business. According to Abacus, not surprisingly the Internet was indicated by 87.3 percent of agents polled as having had the biggest impact on their businesses. Mobile, social networking and location-based services were also highlighted as key factors. Although most agents cited convenience, communication and productivity as key technology benefits, a few agents thought the online travel space had also led to fiercer competition and reduced prices. Agents polled indicated that enhanced communication (74.5 percent), speed of business (72.7 percent), convenience (72.7 percent), productivity (63.6 percent) and marketing (60 percent) were the primary ways that technology has enhanced their businesses.

From the same Abacus poll, 57.4 percent of agents highlighted the importance of social networks in order to remain competitive in the travel landscape.

Many of the agents indicated that social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have proved highly successful in reaching out to their existing customers as well as attracting new ones. The traveller of today and of tomorrow is well-connected, and it is imperative that agents access this growing channel.