A survey by Advantage Travel Partnership in the UK has found that the vast majority of travel agents are attracting new customers. It seems post-pandemic that people are seeing the advantage of removing complications, receiving immediate answers to their queries and saving hours of time.
The consortium found that 94% of travel agents are reporting an increase in new customers for 2022 and 63% are “optimistic” about the year ahead.
Of the 94% seeing an increase in new customers, 30% reported new clients fell into the 35-44-year-old age bracket, with 33% of new customers aged between 45-54 and 15% over 60.
”It’s our mission to dispel the myths around travel agents – that they are only for the older generation, that they are more expensive, that the role is outdated – and instead show their value to travellers to ensure peace of mind when planning their holiday. It’s clear that many people still see the invaluable role they play in getting away,” said Advantage chief executive Julia Lo Bue.
Similar reports are breaking in the US; Virtuoso, a travel network with more than 20,000 advisors globally, has seen a 50% increase in demand in the last year alone with millennials and Gen Xers being the fastest growing portion of new clients, according to the New York Post.