Survey: Business Travelers Cool on Agents
by Andrew Sheivachman /Business travelers are mostly indifferent when it comes to booking corporate travel with a travel agency, according to a recent ASTA survey.
Findings from the recent “Value of Travel Agents” survey from ASTA and MMGY Global portray the challenges travel agents face with the business travel population.
Just 16% of active business travelers used an agent in the last year, the survey found. Moreover, among business travelers who used an agent, only two out of three said they planned to do so again in the next year.
Younger business travelers were least likely to use an agent for business travel.
Quality of trips vary
Half of all business travelers polled said trips planned with help from travel agents were the same as those that weren’t.
However, 40% said agent-planned business trips were superior to those booked independently.
Baby boomer business travelers were more likely than their younger counterparts to believe that a travel agent’s experienced improved their trip.
Maybe in the future?
One in five business travelers who did not use an agent in the last year were open to using one in the future.
“Business travelers open to using travel agents in the future are significantly more likely to believe they have better business travel experiences when they use traditional travel agents as a resource,” according to the study.
“Building on this belief through advertising is likely to appeal to this segment.”
However, business travelers who are open to using agents go on fewer trips than others, according to the study. Those open to using an agent went on an average of 3.4 trips last year, while those who did not went on 4.3 trips.
Company policy
Among business travelers who did not book through agents, four in 10 said their company’s business travel policy did not allow the use of agents.
Conversely, three out of four business travelers who used an agent said they did so because of their company’s policy.
Business travelers who didn’t use an agent cited a lack of control as their main concern about using an agent. Enjoying the process of doing their own travel research was another major factor.
Promotional tips
Business travelers who consulted travel agents sought their help most often to book flights, hotels and rental cars.
“Travel agents are experts in meeting the specific needs of business travelers, and this may be a strong point to emphasize while trying to convert new customers,” the report states.
“A campaign aimed at their businesses emphasizing the convenience and cost-savings of using travel for business might be an effective way to approach this obstacle,” the study says.
Ethnic lens
African-American business travelers were significantly more likely to use an agent than white travelers.
African-American business travelers also were more likely than white and Hispanic travelers to indicate that agents have the knowledge to make the best recommendations to them.
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