Advisors have to maintain a delicate balance between
obtaining the best value for their client and earning
high commissions when choosing suppliers. Who they
sell with can make a huge difference over time, both in
client retention and profitability. Eighty-nine percent
(89%) of advisors put their clients’ needs first when
selecting a supplier, followed closely by customer
support (82%).
One agent sums up how they put customers first when
choosing Suppliers:
Better commercial terms rank fourth amongst 65% of
advisors. Sixty-one percent (61%) declare that personal
experience makes a difference when choosing a supplier
(see Chart 15).
CHART 15
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25
ON-GROUND SUPPORT: THE SUPPLIER NETWORK
IMPORTANT FACTORS IN SELECTING A SUPPLIER (%)
89%
82%
66%
65%
61%
51%
48%
42%
35%
29%
24%
18%
6%
Suits my client's needs
Customer support
Expertise in the destination
Better commissions/more profitable
I have personal experience traveling with them
Part of my consortium/ host agency network
Local BDM support
Training opportunities including fam trips
Booking incentives
Clients come in asking for it
Aligns with my own travel passion
Co-operative marketing collaterals
Access to revenue credit
We look for companies that
are friendly, supportive, and
cooperative and as vested as we are
in serving our clients.
After COVID-19 the tour operators I
use will be based on their customer
service and help during this
pandemic. Some stood out and
others were very frustrating to deal
with.
What has come to light from our survey respondents
is that those suppliers who have been responsive to
advisors during difficult times will stand out.
Advisors thrive when they engage in sharpening their
strengths regularly. When they arm themselves with the
latest tools, it increases their competitiveness and the
ability to adapt to changing and challenging situations.
While familiarization trips have traditionally been popu-
lar among advisors as a training format, the survey
results presented a new opportunity. Eighty-three
percent (83%) of advisors chose the online medium
as a training format that they are likely to participate
in the future. Virtual events are also cropping up, and
agencies are taking notice (see Chart 16).
It’s worth noting that our survey comments suggested
that face to face interaction is still preferred.
However, advisors have been quick to embrace a wide
variety of online training platforms and webinars.
This begs the question: How much time would they
want to spend on online training per week? A separate
online poll conducted in conjunction with this survey on
the Travel Market Report website revealed that 45% of
1,070 respondents spent between 2-4 hours per week
participating in online webinars and training events.
26
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CHART 16
PREFERRED TRAINING OPTIONS
AGENTS WITH TRAINING PARTICIPATION (%)
Physical training is better than
virtual… that way you get a chance
to speak with other agents...
amazing what you learn from others
that have been there vs. what the
supplier wants you to hear...!!!
I still like face-to-face tradeshows.
It's not just about the actual
training, it's about mingling with
other Travel Advisors.
83%
79%
46%
42%
34%
19%
Online training course
Fam trip
One-day offsite training
Virtual tradeshow or conference
2-3 days offsite training
4+ days offsite training