COMPLEX itineraries and packaged tour choices are major reasons why over half of Australians will choose to book an overseas holiday with bricks-and-mortar travel experts, according to industry sources.
Based on an annual report by Roy Morgan Research, for the 12 months to June 2012, 51.6 per cent of Australians used a travel expert to book their last overseas holiday or leisure trip, compared to 32.1 per cent through airlines, 25.9 per cent through accommodation suppliers and 12.9 per cent through online-only travel booking websites.
According to Haydn Long, spokesperson for Flight Centre, most international travel in Australia is booked via travel experts. He said: “For some airline bookings, (travel consultant) sales will be as high as 80 or 90 per cent. A considerable amount of domestic travel is also booked through travel (experts).
“Finding the best airfare online is time-consuming and it’s generally no cheaper than buying from an (expert). (Experts) can talk customers through the complexities and outline alternatives that may not be easy to find on the web, potentially saving them time and money. Australians are adventurous travellers and have a fair degree of complexity in their arrangements. (Experts) can really add value to complex trips.”
Outgoing CEO of Wotif.com Rob Cooke also noted that customers tend to turn to travel consultants when travelling overseas, driven by the trend to purchase package holidays, while many travellers are still hesitant to book overseas holidays online.
