The travel industry has been completely shifting for the past decade now. It is important to remember that what travel agencies used to be completely changed and the segment targeted did as well. Travelers don’t want the same experience as before and with the new tools our generations have at their disposal, it is hard for the companies of the industry to keep up.
By its isolated geography, Australia is an interesting market to study when it comes to the influence of Thomas Cookbut also different kind of agencies. But unfortunately, the company went bankrupt and didn’t really last for a long time in Australia. The two major reason why this industry changed so much throughout the years are the digital and the evolution of what we want to experience. Particularly in a country like Down Under, there were several changes that could have make a difference. But the local industry understood that. This island is so far from everyone, yet it is rich enough to create a separate trade ground and that is how local agencies created a whole different and separate travel world in the sweet country that is Oz.
When arriving in the country, most foreigners are imagining their trip in advance, asking friends and websites what the must dos are, they don’t trust agencies anymore because they believe they only recommend one activity or one travelling company because they receive commission. But most of Australian travel agencies are basing their strategy on this personal interaction technique were they develop a relationship with their customers, chatting with them in a relaxed context and they will feel more likely to listen and get seduced by this kind of organized travel even though it wasn’t their original plan.
The biggest competition for Thomas Cookin Australia would probably be online travel sites such as Booking.comor Easyjet.comaccording to Owler.com, but that would apply for the company all around the world. As we said earlier: they couldn’t adapt with digital evolution and all the online tools people are using now. They needed a revolutionary shift on this level but couldn’t manage to make it happen.
But on a local level there would be few main competitors:
- Happy Travels: One of the biggest agencies on the Australian soil with over thirty shops
all around Australia and New Zealand as they usually go by pairs in the travel industry.
The reason why this company managed to differentiate from others is that they based their appealing side on their capacity to organize parties. When going to Melbourne or Byron Bay, you can be sure that by passing by a Happy Travels shop, you will get freebies or vouchers to the biggest bar in town (especially after you’ve booked a costly trip) and usually most of the agent working there are also at the party, establishing relationships with potential customers. Talking about packages or trips to someone during a party feels less stressful than in a shop. And most of the times, backpackers are the biggest party animals, so what better way to bait them than throwing the craziest parties? They became one of the leading figures of travel in Australia.
- Peter Pans Travels & Backpackers World Travel: They both have the same owner and
constitutes together a huge part of the market. Their strategy is slightly different than the previous company as they really try to give a feeling of transparency to the customer. The agents in Happy Travels are fun and ready to party but they are also feisty when it comes to conclude the deal and they can be a little pressuring. Whereas PPT & BWTare more basing their strategy on a creating an atmosphere for the customer when they are in the shop. They are using emotion as an asset here because they “understand them” as they are backpackers just as them. People manage to relate to this brand because it is so rich and diverse. Majority of the agents are polyglots so there is mostly no culture barrier, they all traveled so they can share their experience, and they were all trained in order to give this feeling of “being at home” for the customer. And it works.
As the digital has already been taken over by Booking.com, EasyJet.com and so many other online options, the Australian market understood that the only way to attract customers was to generate the human contact again. To go out in the street, reach people, make them laugh and stimulate emotions inside them. It is old school, but it did work for them as all these local travel agencies are doing pretty well. That is where Thomas Cook couldn’t come up with ideas to get around this shifting industry.
Source photo : https://happytravels.com.au/stores/
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