Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TABLE 7.2 Agency Sales by Travel Sector
6
2009
a
% Share
2010
b
% Share
2002
% Share
2003
% Share
2005
% Share
2006
% Share
2007
% Share
2008
% Share
10/02
% Change
Tour Packages
27%
29%
30%
30%
31%
37%
35%
29%
6%
Airline
34
32
29
27
26
24
24
24
-29%
Cruise
22
22
24
24
25
20
25
26
18%
Hotel
8
9
9
8
10
13
9
10
23%
Car Rental
5
5
5
4
4
3
4
4
-20%
Other
4
4
4
7
4
3
4
8
111%
a
2009 sales by segment data is revised from last years projections.
b
2010 sales by segment data is projected.
Source: ASTA.
travel industry, technology has turned just about any location such as a home into a sophisticated
of
ce from which business can be conducted.
As independents started writing a considerable amount of business, suppliers that were once
skeptical of working with independents have become increasingly eager for their business. This
once-maligned and misunderstood marketing force that was once shunned by suppliers is now
sought after by agencies and suppliers alike. Although no
figures are available on the number of
agents who are either home-based or working in host agencies as independent contractors,
organizations that serve them give an indication of growth and importance. The National
Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA) serves this group. NACTA is the national trade
association for independent travel agents, home-based travel agents, cruise-oriented agents,
outside sales travel agents, and traditional ARC-appointed travel agencies that provide services
and support to such professionals. NACTA is an af
liate of the American Society of Travel Agents.
Visit the NACTA Web site at
www.nacta.com
.
A resource for these agents is the Home Based Travel Agent Network,
www.hbtanetwork.com
. The
Travel Agent Resource Center, Travel Af
liate Resource Center, and Cruise Agent Link have all been
consolidated into this site to create the most current and complete online resource for home-based
agents. The Home Based Travel Agent Community is a social network for travel professionals, and
more than 6,891 members share information and experiences on this site.
In 2010, the travel agency industry survives in a form that would have been unrecognizable a
decade or two ago. Successful agencies have shown a
flexibility and adaptability to compete in a
changing world.
The Future of Travel Agents
One of the problems of being an intermediary (wholesaler or retailer) is that someone is always trying
to eliminate you. So-called experts have been predicting for years that intermediaries would
disappear
that with the current level of education, technology, and communication, consumers
could conduct business directly with suppliers, and middlemen would gradually disappear because
they were no longer needed. The experts have been wrong; intermediaries are doing more dollar
business than ever before, while at the same time there has been an increase in direct selling.
Because of the Internet, commission caps, commission cuts, commission eliminations, and the
changing world of travel, popular questions being raised today are: Will there be a travel agent in
the future? Will travel agents survive the elimination of airline commissions? Will the Internet result in
the demise of the travel agent? Ever since the Internet gave consumers the ability to plan and book
their own travel, there has been speculation surrounding the viability of the traditional travel agent.
Numerous articles have suggested the downfall of the travel agent channel of distribution.
—
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