Winning In The Tech Era | 7 be able to meet their client in a virtual experience of a desired vacation destination, rather than simply having a conversation about it Yes, the future has arrived, or it is at least well on its way 6) Handling Contactless Payments and Understanding Blockchain The COVID pandemic ushered along contactless payments in a massive way From coffee shops to convenience stores to high-end retail, consumers are becoming more accustomed to using wireless technology for payments The travel industry must adapt to these changes as the demand grows from customers Progressive vendors that see the value in this, and other types of payment-related services, will have an advantage over those who are slow to adopt Denise L Wiggins, global executive advisor/CEO, Denise Wiggins Travel & Wellness Services, uses contactless payments with her clients, and says she “absolutely loves the ease and seamlessness of this quick payment method Once you get started, you don’t want to go back!” On the related tech topic of blockchain, first, there is the looming question of what it is Blockchain is a decentralized public ledger that keeps track of transactions across numerous computers It is essentially a network of computers, or nodes, that share the same transactional history The data is stored in blocks that are linked together in a chain Its power is that it allows transparent information- sharing within a business or peer-to-peer network Blockchain is said to be secure, transparent, and traceable – and offers cost savings with new efficiencies As for how this relates to travel advisors, in the near future, most transactions will have a digital-wallet-based component to them The old days of paper receipts and green-screen terminals will disappear as society moves towards an entirely digital transaction landscape And while there are concerns about the integrity and security of these transactions, it is expected that contract-based transactions will eventually dominate everything from airline ticket purchases to credit accounts established with travel suppliers as a way to better manage payment services Putting this technology development further into perspective, Rose explains: “The goal of blockchain is to reduce the cost of transactions and simplify payment and settlement This is a technological infrastructure change, not a travel industry-initiated effort Much like the Internet itself, as Web3/blockchain becomes more mainstream, travel agents will need to hook into a blockchain (public or private), and once doing, can gain access to a variety of inventory based on the smart contracts which dictate the rules of engagement” Azzam Hajyousif, former travel agency owner and current COO of LeisureBlox, comments: “The audience for blockchain is still growing, however the technology provides access to a variety of demographics, some of which are new to travel Those who are either tech- savvy, desiring more privacy, and/or desiring to be on the cutting edge of ecommerce will find the security and flexibility of blockchain very attractive” 7) Coordinating Vendor Relationships The success of a travel agency pivots on the quality of its travel vendors First, identifying and then maintaining solid relationships with reliable and trusted travel suppliers will make or break their business How tech helps: “The ability to have on-demand training available 24/7 allows us to do the necessary training at a time that is convenient to us,” relays Saltarelli “While we love the face-to-face relationships, there is an advantage to doing training in bite-size segments at a time that is convenient This is a great advantage, whether you are new to the industry or have been around for a while and are looking for a refresher course” “Stay alert to technology. Insert yourself and experiment with as much of it as you can. It’s absolutely a positive welcome and a game-changer for being efficient, effective and streamlined.” – Denise L. Wiggins, global executive advisor/CEO, Denise Wiggins Travel & Wellness Services (continued from page 6)