That was the view of Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant, speaking about trends in the luxury sector as part of a panel at Abta’s Travel Trends report.
“Some recent, new clients have told us that they came to us because of a kind of fear of booking independently right now, but then they’ve experienced amazing service and we’ve added real value,” he said.
“I do think there can be a sea-change, instead of a temporary spike, if agents demonstrate that added value.”
The panel, moderated by TTG’s group editor Pippa Jacks, also included trends in the youth market from G Adventures’ managing director EMEA Brian Young; trends in cruise from Norwegian Cruise Line’s marketing director UK & Ireland, Israel, Middle East & Africa Karen Sequeira; and trends in the 55-plus market from Travelzoo’s communications director Cat Jordan.
Brian Young reported there is incredible pent-up demand in the youth market, and that backpackers are more likely in the current climate to want to travel with an adventure operator than travel independently.
However, he said the fact young people get access to vaccinations later than other age groups can be a barrier, and while other customer segments might now have more money to burn, the youth market remains price-conscious, with additional Covid requirements in some destinations being off-putting.
“Thailand is huge for our 18-Thirtysomethings customers but currently you need a private transfer, overnight quarantine in an approved hotel and a PCR test; that adds $100 which is a significant chunk of their spending money for many,” he explained.
Customers booking longer itineraries and bucket-list destinations was a cruise trend recognised by her brand, said Sequeira, along with solo travellers and clients upgrading to exclusive experiences such as NCL’s Haven product.
Travelzoo’s Cat Jordan presented the results from a recent consumer survey of which highlighted the 55-plus market is much more in favour of having vaccination passports than younger travellers. Just over half (54%) of respondents aged 25-34 were in favour, while 82% of those aged 55 and over said yes.
