Agents who hone their digital and communication skills will be best placed to survive the crisis, says Bernhard Steffens, SVP, Business Travel Agencies NECSE and WEMEA at Amadeus
We are all looking forward to moving on from Covid-19 and getting the travel sector back on its feet.
The question for all of us is how can we drive and accelerate recovery, while adapting to the very real possibility of long-term change in the world of travel?
Predicting the shape and recovery of the travel industry is something many are attempting to crack, with travel agents constantly looking for new and innovative ways to grow and diversify revenues and improve the travel experience.
In Amadeus’ latest report, The Travel Consultant of Tomorrow, more than 63% of business leaders in Europe operating in the travel industry claimed their employees are their most critical success factor. Though technology is offering new frontiers, the human touch remains at the forefront of customer experience.
However, the demand for digital skills has increased across all industries, with travel being no exception.
More than one third of business leaders (35%) stressed that competency-based recruiting and retaining the right talent were their biggest concerns. Travel consultants said they require people with technical skills to leverage the latest technology in a travel era defined by rapid change and ongoing disruption.