Chair Irene Hays and Hays Travel chief operating officer Jonathon Woodall-Johnston welcomed delegates to the Algarve as they laid out the consortium’s plans for a busy year ahead and how its members can capitalise on current (and future) trends.

TTG picks out some of the conference’s key takeaways…

Small discounts add up

That was the message from Woodall-Johnston as he urged Hays IG members to stop offering customers minor discounts in a bid to compete with high street rivals – warning that although the figures may seem small “marginal changes make such a big difference to the bottom line”. “The customer is not going to walk away for a £1 discount,” he said.

Let’s get ’phygital’

Consumer and shopper behaviouralist Ken Hughes told delegates how the winning businesses of the future must be “phygital” – part physical and part digital – to better cater to consumer needs and with more and more customers seeking seamless, on-demand experiences and useability – “You have to have a strong digital game,” Hughes insisted.

Two weeks in the metaverse?

While such a move towards digital service may – not yet – extend to virtual trips, the viability and popularity of metaverse holidays were debated by Hays IG members. According to Designer Travel boss Amanda Matthews, the experience is unlikely to become people’s preferred holiday choice, who will opt for real-life experiences instead. “If they take a short break, yes – but I don’t think it will be their main holiday,” she told members.

Make clients feel special’

Hughes also told delegates that catering to each client’s needs would make them feel heard and seen, forging deeper relationships and creating strong loyalty. “Make [customers] feel special, make them feel like there’s nobody else,” he said, advising agents to move from a transactional to a relational understanding of their business and their clients to build a more intimate rapport.

Holidays to defy cost of living crunch

Dame Irene Hays told Hays IG members spend on holidays would likely defy the cost of living downturn, creating major opportunities for travel agents. Analysing data from PwC, Hays told delegates nearly 50% of consumers planned to spend either "a bit more" or "much more" on travel compared with 2022. “It is unbelievable,” said Hays. “People will forgo hospitality, they’ll forgo clothing and they’ll downgrade their grocery shopping in order to be able to afford a holiday.”