The changes on the ground that have taken place in the last two years are considerable – from overhauling airport security to armed police on horseback patrolling the beaches.
And yet, for all these changes it was something else which convinced the customers I spoke with to return – simply, that if Thomas Cook was happy to reinstate its programme, then Tunisia must be safe.
Two friends who had never been to Tunisia before said they “trusted Thomas Cook to have done all the necessary security checks for them”. Another couple added: “Once Thomas Cook said it was OK we were more than happy to come back”.
Such faith in an established brand is nothing new, but in a world where no destination can ever be truly 100% safe, consumers are increasingly looking for trusted sources they can rely on to look after them should something go wrong.
Kuoni’s latest Trends report this week points to similar findings. It notes that consumers are increasingly being driven back to agents due to “information overload”. And Kuoni is gearing up to open its 50th store, which will be in a John Lewis, itself a trusted favourite of consumers. As Derek Jones noted: “There is a growing thirst for genuine expertise”.
It’s a message which agents such as Peakes Travel Elite and Idle Travel are keen to promote. In their local communities they have publicised their brands and expertise through radio phone in shows.
It all highlights that associating your brand with expertise and trust can really pay off when it comes to influencing consumers. And while you might expect such results for larger businesses such as Thomas Cook and Kuoni, clever marketing and consistently excellent customer service mean this is just as attainable on a smaller scale too.
