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Thailand travel from the UK"THAILAND TRAVEL" Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
11/29/2004 Nov. 29--TRAVEL INDUSTRY REDISCOVERS TRUST: After years of over-relying on high-tech customer relationship marketing and data-mining strategies to attract business, British travel agents are realising that what really matters to clients is that old-fashioned, high-touch characteristic: trust for Thailand travel. In posting the results of its 2004 Holiday Survey on its web site last week, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said: "Although the industry is changing, there is still affection for both the High Street travel agent -- with consumers saying that agents have become more trustworthy -- and the package holiday, which still provides high levels of satisfaction and excellent value for money." THAILAND TRAVEL The survey found that one-third more consumers than in 2002 stated that travel agents' advice was more trustworthy than two years ago, while 95 percent of those who used a travel agent said that they received "very good" or "fairly good" service. The findings show that in a world awash with high-tech quick-fixes, travel agents are having to work hard to polish up their primary unique selling proposition, the human factor. THAILAND TRAVEL Ever since the Internet revolution began, one of the running stories has been the prospective disintermediation of the travel agents as airlines, hotel groups and others have sought ways to cut commission costs and take control of their distribution mechanisms. While many agents have learned to ride the Internet wave, the ABTA Holiday Survey shows that what really counts is the human factor and that consumers will use an agent if they can trust him/her to give them the best possible advice, price and service. Said the survey report, "This proves that quality face-to-face service is still invaluable and that many consumers find that travel agents offer both speed and convenience. Also, 75 percent said that they used travel agents for a source of information (compared to 57 percent who used the web for information). THAILAND TRAVEL "Similarly, 93 percent of those who said that they had booked their last holiday through an agent said that they would use the same agent again. And 73 percent said that if that agent withdrew from ABTA that they would be unlikely or certain not to use that agent again."
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The survey also showed that ABTA members have found new income streams in the form of long-haul, tailor-made holidays. Many agents are also now practising dynamic packaging. The strong British pound is driving outbound travel big time with major UK industry players reporting that bookings for summer 2005 are positive and forecasting that bookings by Christmas will be 5 percent up on last year. THAILAND TRAVEL The survey showed that 64 percent of package holidays were booked through a travel agent and 28 percent direct with a tour operator. This year, tour operators have experienced a surge in demand for long haul destinations and separate holiday components -- such as accommodation only and flight ticket sales. In the summer of 2004, Malaysia with Thailand travel was the fastest-growing destination in Southeast Asia, with bookings up 32 percent, followed by Thailand travel and the Maldives with 8 percent each, and Sri Lanka, up 5 percent. By contrast, bookings to the United Arab Emirates were up 108 percent, Egypt 163 percent, Croatia 78 percent, Bulgaria 62 percent, Slovenia 11 percent, Morocco 38 percent, Tunisia 24 percent, the United States 13 percent and Cuba 18 percent. Meanwhile, sales to short-haul Western European holidays this summer have dipped: France was down 10 percent, Italy flat, Spain down 18 percent, Greece 19 percent and Portugal 16 percent. THAILAND TRAVEL These figures, reported by the ACNeilsen TravelTrack report for November 2004, are taken from bookings to High Street agents, call centres and web sites. However, they don't include bookings direct with tour operators. Cruise holidays is also performing particularly well for 2005 with growth at an impressive rate of 35 percent. The 2004 Passenger Shipping Association report announced that UK passengers on cruises crossed the one million mark in 2003. A slight dip in average prices is said to have encouraged some of this growth and within this, fly-cruise is growing at 10 percent, and revenue growth is ahead 18 percent. Can't find what you need? Try a Google Web Search in the box below!
THAILAND TRAVEL Accommodation only sales this summer were up by 53 percent, with flight tickets only up by 5 percent and 30 percent growth seen in scheduled airline tickets. Many tour operators have direct booking web sites and are also now introducing more flexible holiday times with dynamic packaging software, while others have introduced bed banks and accommodation only (including villas) facilities. Other major players have also reduced their commitment with hotel beds and flight seats to retain as much flexibility as possible. The difference of booking separate holiday elements through a tour operator rather than independently means that they usually offer full financial protection. THAILAND TRAVEL But lines between tour operators and agents are blurring -- as both "agents" and operators are moving into the same fields of distribution -- of Internet, call centres and interactive TV. They are also selling separately more holiday components. The ABTA survey found that 95 percent of consumers thought that their holiday was good value for money and 88 percent said that they were either certain to, very likely or fairly likely to take another package holiday in the next 12 months..... Compare airline tickets for Thailand travel here /cheap airfares home |