travel tech insights

There was a time, though it may be difficult to imagine now, before the advent of the mega mart when shopping for groceries, home goods, hardware, and other domestic necessities was an all-day affair. Multiple stops at different specialty stores would be required, which would be costly, time-consuming, and you’d often end up overlooking or even opting out of some items on your list because of inconvenience or time constraints associated with visiting so many different retailers. 

But with the modern mega mart - you know which big name chain to which I’m referring - it’s easier than ever to obtain all the items on your shopping list by simply going to one place.

Groceries? New bath towels? Wood glue? DVDs? Clothing? All these items can be found under one roof, saving the customer time, money, and hassle. No longer do you have to drive all over town to complete your errands or sacrifice necessary items because of inconvenience, time-efficiency, or cost.

Travel is an inherently social act. Even if you’re traveling alone, whether for business or leisure, you’re not really alone - instead, you’re surrounded by scores of other travelers in airports, bus terminals, or hotel lobbies, most of whom are frequently checking their smart phones for the latest updates on Facebook or Twitter. Even if you’re not the one logging on, by extension you’re in greater company than you think.

The beginning of the New Year is the perfect time to take a serious look at your travel technology; the holiday travel rush is over, the staff is back from holiday, a preliminary view of 2015 results is coming into focus and planning for 2016 is being finalized.

This look must be a serious one because: technology plays an increasingly important role in differentiating products and services within the travel marketplace; implementing new technology can be disruptive; and correctly evaluating an existing travel system along with other choices requires time and a sound process.

If your travel booking website has abandonment issues, you’re in good company: according to a recent SaleCycle survey, 81% of visitors to travel industry websites left without completing their booking activity.  With no similar surveys reporting contradictory findings, having to live with a high percentage of abandoned online bookings appear to be an inescapable reality for the foreseeable future. You’re also in good company if you find yourself asking, “Isn’t there any good news on this subject?” 

The question isn’t whether or not your travel agency has workflow problems - because every agency has room for improvement in this area. The question addresses: what are your travel agency workflow problems; are they serious or minor; if serious, are they urgent or deferrable; if urgent, how are they impacting the organization – and how should they be prioritized and addressed?