"The travel agent is king" was the central message of Flight Centre UK’s 2022 trends report, which explored the effect the pandemic has had on British holidaymakers’ booking and travel habits.
More than half of respondents (54%) said they would prefer to use a travel agent to book their holidays rather doing it themselves to give them "peace of mind to travel knowing an expert has their back".
The report claimed that although the benefits of booking through a travel agent have "long been recognised", the uncertainty of travel brought during the pandemic has "further cemented the value of an agent’s expertise".
"Pandemic-era travel requires more emphasis on pre-departure planning than ever before," the report said. "Add to that, unexpected changes and cancellations due to outbreaks, reduced airline capacity and scaled down airline staff, makes having a one-stop shop service with a travel agent invaluable."
Flight Centre UK predicted the 54% of Brits looking to book with an agent will grow in 2022 as the public further realise the "complexities of travel in the Covid-era" and the benefits of having an agent to guide them through the new protocols.
"An experienced travel agent can keep travellers across the ever-changing Covid-19 regulations, as well as assist with changes, cancellations and reimbursements that airlines themselves have admitted and demonstrated they are not able to deal with the sheer volume of alone," the report continued.
Flight Centre UK also claimed January 2022 saw its highest levels of enquiries and UK bookings.
In October 2021, 65% of the firm’s UK customers "felt positive" about travel and 91% said they would be going abroad in the next year. Those "never wanting to book travel again" dropped from 5% to 0.5%.
Liz Mathews, managing director of Flight Centre UK, said this year is "one of revenge travel".
"Travellers are itching to stick it to Covid-19 and will take great pleasure in boarding a plane and crossing borders in 2022," she added.
"The pent-up demand from the last 22 months is bubbling over as people see an end in sight for this pandemic.
"And they want vengeance. Vengeance for all the cancelled holidays, missed weekends away, and the get-togethers they never got to plan."
