Wales Tourism and Visit Planning

Internet to Become Dominant Reservations Channel Say Agents in NTL Business

Holiday In Wales A new year poll of travel agents, conducted by NTL Business (Travel Division), has revealed that although the industry expects the internet to become the dominant reservations channel within five years, 66% of agents prefer making bookings through viewdata, citing speed, trust/familiarity and ease of access as the main reasons for using the travel industry`s dominant technology.

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"The GDS remains one of the most critical and productive marketing channels for a hotel, " said Roland Tanner, president of the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association. "The travel agent GDS marketplace remains the largest single source of electronic business for the hospitality industry, and, although we are seeing large volume growth in the Internet distribution channels, the GDS is still a much larger source of room night revenue compared to the entire Internet channel."

Cottage Holiday In Wales The Travelvision straw poll of 100 independent and multiple agencies - sponsored by leading online UK short breaks provider Superbreak.com - revealed 80% of agents questioned use the internet, with researching holiday destinations given as the top use. The poll showed 82% of respondents operate an agency website, although only 41% of these are selling on the web - and only 44% of this group are offering real-time bookings.

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Caravan Holiday In Wales When questioned on how to improve the booking process, agents said greater technology was the factor most likely to increase sales, followed by more destination information and more destination images. The response highlights agents` belief in the importance of systems to the booking process, but a further question revealed that agents still believe personal service is the most crucial factor to closing a sale ahead of price.

Travel Websites Travel Websites Quick Pix Thinking about your summer vacation yet Instead of visiting your local travel agent, the convenience of the internet has now made it possible to make your own reservations. With the advent of travel websites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz and Priceline, you can book and customize your travel plans instantly with a click of the button. what websites they prefer, if they shop around for the best price, and what kind of reservations they make. We think you will find the results interesting. Bon Voyage!

Camping Holiday Wales In questions on their wider interests and beliefs, respondents cited Friends Reunited as their favourite website alongside Yahoo (11% each). Despite the threat to agency business from the low-cost airline revolution, just over 60% of agents questioned book cheap flights from the sector`s leading carriers, with EasyJet, Ryanair and Go listed as their favourites. Surprisingly, agents proved themselves less pro-European than might be expected in the travel industry, with two thirds (63%) saying they didn`t think Britain should adopt the single currency.

"Word of mouth and Tripology referrals have been my best business generating channels so far." Websites such as, Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity have given the opportunity to travelers to book trips without a travel agent. Have you found this to be a problem for you "They can be a big issue for today's travel agents. However, I believe happy clients are repeat clients and I offer whatever it takes to make my customers happy and have them return to me to plan their future trips."

Accommodation Holiday Wales Paul Brewer, Director at Imp Travel in Lincoln, who took part in the poll commented: "As an independent agency we have looked to move forward with technology as much as resources allow. We like to use the internet where possible to make bookings, with the main advantage being the vastly improved presentation of information that can be passed on the client. The web links to companies such as Gold Medal on Traveleye have proved really useful and we will certainly look to use internet technology more and more in the future."

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