Package travel has had a bit of a revival post-pandemic with consumers looking for extra assurance especially when it comes to their hard earned dollars.
Many would say that COVID-19 trained consumers to value the expertise of travel consultants and that the trend continues.
“What happened has reinforced the model,” said Giles Martinez, chief executive of Jumbo Tours, a B2B travel services provider.
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He joined Thomas Cook CEO Alan French for a panel discussion at Phocuswright Europe 2023 focused on packaged travel and dynamic packaging and where each fit into the overall landscape.
The Packaging Paradox session discussed current travel trends with strong bookings for the summer and the opportunity for dynamic packaging to widen the range of what travel companies offer customers.
The discussion then centered on sustainability and the need to help consumers understand the carbon footprint of trips.
“Our job as the distribution agent is to bring that to life for the customer. The problem is that universally customers want to understand the impact of the holidays they take but they find that hard to do,” said French, adding that standards are also needed to instill trust in consumers.
The conversation also focused on advances in technology helping airlines and hoteliers get their prices in front of consumers in a more dynamic fashion.
“The more seamless we can make it, the more steps we can take out of it, the better for all of us in the industry,” said French.
Watch the full session below moderated by Cristina Polo, market specialist for EMEA at Phocuswright.