What can be said more about the e-travel industry? After reading a lot and surfing I get the impression that every aspect of this topic seems to be covered. Therefore, I will tempt to give my point of view based on the reality of this market.Before going further, I do want to put on the table some data that really underline how the travel industry and its influence on the e-business is relevant. According to the UNWTO (Tourism World Organization), 1,6 billions of tourists are expected for 2020 (1,2 billions of interregional tourists and around 400 millions of long-haul travellers).
See below the tables:
Source: UNTWO
Source: UNTWOMore people travelling so more opportunities for the e-travel industry. Let’s have a look on the weight of the sector. The worldwide e-travel market represents 120 billions $. The US market represents 55%, the European one 25%. Click on the the following link to get the all data : http://www.journaldunet.com/diaporama/0608-voyages/index.shtml .Now we can imagine what it could be in 10 years…
The tourist consumption follows the new habits:
-the holidays are shorter,
-more and more people buy their travel on the web,
-so there is more traffic and demands that can generate money.
A travel is a non tangible product often paid before consuming it. The travel is a non materialized product. It will become reality when you enjoy your holiday on the beach… The tourism is a transversal sector. It means that lot of components are useful to get a final product (planes and airports, rooms and hotels, restaurant and food, car rental,…). The only tool at your disposal to have an idea of your future travel was a brochure.
To my mind, the web has materialized the travel. Thanks to the technology developed on the web, people have now the opportunity to prepare in details their trip and have very precise information. The travel websites have made a big step in their presentation and functions. Between the first website “vitrine” (which gave only some information) and the actual ones, the evolution is notable. Why? According to me, the relation to the consumer has changed. Nowadays, the trend is totally consumers oriented. All the services provide on a website a one and unique goal: reach the good customer and of course make money.
The web has totally disrupted the travel market. We passed from an assisted client to a client with expertise. Today, the tools (webcam, geolocalized maps,…) on the web try to convert the information into a buying. We are in an interactive relation. Why? With the development of the e-travel industry, the relation with a traditional travel agent tempts to disappear. The travel agent makes your self easy. People wants to feel themselves secure when they buy a travel. Because as we said, you buy a product that you will enjoy later. Those tools make the clients more confidents when they purchase a trip.
All you ask for in a travel agency, you find it on the web: price comparison, information on the destination, photos, movies…And the big trend of the moment are the experiences of other people. People share their experience of a travel through a website. Those websites create real communities and serenity for future clients.
Here after, some links on websites that fit completely with the trend, and that I found particularly interesting. Let’s begin with Air New Zeland website. They provide to their future customers, a tool that shows where they can go with 50, 100, 150 $... http://promos.airnz.co.nz/howfar . We just finish with the price and what about the hobbies during holidays? Tripbase mixes 5 criteria: nightlife, dinning, shopping, nature, attraction. People slide the bottoms according their hobbies ang it generates several travel propositions
is a price comparison website, which give to the clients the price evolution of an air ticket or hotel room http://tripbase.com/. Word66 – wink to the road 66 – is one of the reference in traveller experience: “Almost 80 000 articles written and updated by travellers like you” http://www.world66.com/
Therefore and according different studies, there are still websites without a buying online system. M Raffour (CEO of Raffour Interactive) compares this situation to someone who hangs up the phone. It could be very frustrated for the potential client. He did research, looked for information and after getting all what he needed, it is impossible to book his travel.
What can we expect of the e-travel industry and its evolution? What kind of new service will reach the potential customer? I am not Nostradamus but why we do not think of new service. We mentioned that travel agent was a security for people. Perhaps a service of on line travel agent should make the customer more confident. Imagine a travel agency with someone in front of you. You are on line and in live with a travel agent, which provides you the same service than in a travel agency. It should not be difficult. It is only the video conference technology.
-the holidays are shorter,
-more and more people buy their travel on the web,
-so there is more traffic and demands that can generate money.
A travel is a non tangible product often paid before consuming it. The travel is a non materialized product. It will become reality when you enjoy your holiday on the beach… The tourism is a transversal sector. It means that lot of components are useful to get a final product (planes and airports, rooms and hotels, restaurant and food, car rental,…). The only tool at your disposal to have an idea of your future travel was a brochure.
To my mind, the web has materialized the travel. Thanks to the technology developed on the web, people have now the opportunity to prepare in details their trip and have very precise information. The travel websites have made a big step in their presentation and functions. Between the first website “vitrine” (which gave only some information) and the actual ones, the evolution is notable. Why? According to me, the relation to the consumer has changed. Nowadays, the trend is totally consumers oriented. All the services provide on a website a one and unique goal: reach the good customer and of course make money.
The web has totally disrupted the travel market. We passed from an assisted client to a client with expertise. Today, the tools (webcam, geolocalized maps,…) on the web try to convert the information into a buying. We are in an interactive relation. Why? With the development of the e-travel industry, the relation with a traditional travel agent tempts to disappear. The travel agent makes your self easy. People wants to feel themselves secure when they buy a travel. Because as we said, you buy a product that you will enjoy later. Those tools make the clients more confidents when they purchase a trip.
All you ask for in a travel agency, you find it on the web: price comparison, information on the destination, photos, movies…And the big trend of the moment are the experiences of other people. People share their experience of a travel through a website. Those websites create real communities and serenity for future clients.
Here after, some links on websites that fit completely with the trend, and that I found particularly interesting. Let’s begin with Air New Zeland website. They provide to their future customers, a tool that shows where they can go with 50, 100, 150 $... http://promos.airnz.co.nz/howfar . We just finish with the price and what about the hobbies during holidays? Tripbase mixes 5 criteria: nightlife, dinning, shopping, nature, attraction. People slide the bottoms according their hobbies ang it generates several travel propositions
is a price comparison website, which give to the clients the price evolution of an air ticket or hotel room http://tripbase.com/. Word66 – wink to the road 66 – is one of the reference in traveller experience: “Almost 80 000 articles written and updated by travellers like you” http://www.world66.com/
Therefore and according different studies, there are still websites without a buying online system. M Raffour (CEO of Raffour Interactive) compares this situation to someone who hangs up the phone. It could be very frustrated for the potential client. He did research, looked for information and after getting all what he needed, it is impossible to book his travel.
What can we expect of the e-travel industry and its evolution? What kind of new service will reach the potential customer? I am not Nostradamus but why we do not think of new service. We mentioned that travel agent was a security for people. Perhaps a service of on line travel agent should make the customer more confident. Imagine a travel agency with someone in front of you. You are on line and in live with a travel agent, which provides you the same service than in a travel agency. It should not be difficult. It is only the video conference technology.
Let’s think about something else. Everybody knows what it is the stock exchange. Imagine the same thing for the e-travel industry. People can buy on the market airlines tickets, rooms, dinners…and sell them according the rate. I mean that people could be the owners of 1000 air tickets or rooms and put them on the market according the demand. I talk about individuals. I search for on the web if something like that exists. I did not find anything. If someone has heard about it, please let me know!The development of the e-travel consumption is unavoidable. The traditional travel agencies have to be creative to stay “alive”. Nevertheless, what can we say about Promovacances – e leader of e-travel in France – which has opened traditional travel agency after the big success of their business on the web. We did not talk about the link between the web and the mobile phone. The opportunities of development are huge.
1,6 billions of tourists in 2020! Let’s just thinking of what professionals will have to invent to fit the demand.
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