Don't lose human touch amid Covid crisis, agents told

The online discussion – The future of loyalty in tourism: What are we learning from the Covid-19 crisis? – heard from Kelly Cookes, Advantage Travel Partnership leisure director, who argued the human approach was best in the current environment.

“It’s never been a case of a person versus technology, it’s about getting the right blend,” she said. “At the moment, we’re seeing more of a trend towards wanting interaction with a human being.”

She said the refunds issue had “undoubtedly had an impact on consumer trust”. “Our industry in particular has got some really bad press because of how things have been handled," she said.

Cookes added a lack of a standard approach had damaged public confidence and frustrated consumers. “Feedback from our members is that customers really value that they can pick up the phone and talk to a human being.”