“APAC knowledge in agents is down”
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UK travel agents’ knowledge in the Asia Pacific region has seen an “alarming decrease” as a result of consolidation and failures, the owner of a travel marketing consultancy has said.
Sandra Leach, owner of Sandra Leach Company told APAC travel buyers and sellers at the Luxperience Thought Leaders forum in Sydney that knowledge about the region has lowered in recent years.
She said the drop had come from more consolidation and failures in the UK travel industry, which some say has reduced specialist knowledge. However as more of the region opens up to tourism, others may argue the scale of development has been difficult to keep track of.
She urged delegates not to ignore the UK for luxury travel despite the economic situation, encouraging them to target “recession-proof” markets such as the 50-69 age group and visiting friends and family (VFR) audience.
As customers look for more value for money, Leach encouraged delegates to consider business partnerships; tour operator visibility; B2C marketing and package value to draw in tourists.
Sandra Leach Company handles the represents various APAC-based clients in the UK including Tourism Western Australia, Hamilton Island, Sydney Opera House and the Mantra Group.
Has travel agent consolidation led to a decrease in specialist knowledge? Let us know in the comments section, or email amanda@traveldailymedia.com.
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