For most people, it is the thrill of visiting new places, exploring new locations, and meeting travellers sharing the same passion that compels one to opt for a career in the travel business. However, once you enter the industry, it becomes a fight to survive the competition. With every agency trying to entice customers with lucrative deals, it is imperative to adopt a comprehensive strategy that will benefit your overall business and help you stay ahead in the race.
Listed below are some valuable tips that you can use to attract new customers and influence your existing ones to come back to you.
Engage in social media
Nowadays, social media is influencing people’s interest in travel as everyone is getting swayed by the pictures posted by their friends who might have undertaken a holiday recently. Besides, travellers talk about their visits, share their experiences, and post-travel pictures on social media.
As an agent, you could use the major social media platforms to promote your business by posting images, videos, etc. as well as initiating conversations with customers with an intention to address their core issues. This is sure to get you to repeat business and new customers.
Hire a competent team
It is important to ensure that your team, especially the frontline executives, exhibits a strong customer-focused attitude, which is essential for success. It is important for each member of your team to show a desire to listen to your customers and deliver prompt assistance.
Any delay in getting a proper resolution to query drives customers away to look for alternate options or service providers. Make sure you clearly communicate this message to your team that timely service is vital for attaining customer loyalty. Give them sufficient training if required.
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Plan campaigns regularly
If you want your customers to return to your services, you must make sure you are always on their mind. This is why it is necessary to inform your customers about any new product or tour package you might have launched.
For seasonal trips, design your campaign in a way that they are compelled to speak to you. For instance, ‘ring in the new year with a trip to the vibrant city of Bangkok.’ You can also design special coupons that will make your customers choose your service once again for more such benefits.
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Bring personalized services
As a travel agent, you would always be serving diverse customers where the needs of one may differ from that of the other. Hence, you must aim to deliver personalized services and provide suitable products that meet the travel needs of a specific customer.
If you are traditional in your approach, then you have the edge over other players in the online travel business – that has become highly commercialized and fast-paced. Personalized services may involve going the extra mile viz. calling customers as per their preferred time rather than following your business timings.
Innovate and stay unique
You are likely to get lost in the list of other market players if you have been selling what everyone has. Thus, establishing a niche market for your business is extremely necessary. You must make diligent efforts to innovate with your travel products. Design interesting tour packages that are rare to find in other travel agencies.
Another strategy could be to start specializing in a particular demographic area or a specific destination. For example, you could design your packages to destinations in which you hold the strong expertise which goes something like this- If you reside in the United States and 90% of your guests ask to curate the India Vacation Package, then it is obvious that you have a strong expertise in handcrafting the India tour package. Now what you must do is to take the best selling approach. You can add on more and more benefits in your India package, which no other competitor in the industry is offering. Doing this will give you the cutting edge over your competitors. And remember that if your tour package incorporates everything like meals, stays, extra inclusions, then the chances are high that you will get referral business too.
