The travel agent isn’t dead yet, but technology means they have to evolve

There was a time when booking a holiday meant walking into a travel agency, sitting across from a consultant and asking them to take care of everything.

Today, travellers can compare flights from their phones, read hotel reviews on social media, build itineraries using artificial intelligence and book accommodation without speaking to another person.

The question is obvious: what happens to the travel agent when the traveller can do almost everything themselves?

Evolution key to survival

According to Rennies Travel Experiences, the answer isn’t extinction; it’s evolution.

As Tourism Month puts the spotlight on the businesses and entrepreneurs driving the travel industry, the role of the traditional travel consultant is being tested by technology, changing consumer behaviour and the growing popularity of do-it-yourself travel planning.

Rennies believes there is still a place for the human travel expert, but the consultant of the future will need to offer more than simply making a booking.

Phetogo Kubheka, Senior Operations Manager: MICE & Leisure at Rennies Travel Experiences, told Sunday World that the role of the travel consultant is evolving rather than disappearing.

“Technology has made travel information more accessible than ever, but access to information is not the same as expertise,” says Kubheka.

That changing landscape is behind Rennies’ launch of Latitude, an Independent Travel Consultant (ITC) growth platform aimed at established leisure travel professionals.

The programme is designed for consultants who already have active client bases and proven revenue streams, but who may lack the technology, supplier leverage, operational support and infrastructure needed to scale their businesses.

The traditional travel agent’s biggest competitor may no longer be another agency, it may be the traveller themselves owing to online tools that have made it easier for consumers to self-plan pretty much all travel logistics.

That does not necessarily mean consumers no longer need expertise. Instead, it changes what they expect that expertise to look like. Kubheka argues that travellers can access an enormous amount of information online, but information alone does not necessarily provide the confidence or judgement needed to make the right choices.

“The successful travel consultant of the future will be someone who combines human expertise with technology,” she says.

That could mean understanding a client’s preferences beyond a list of destinations, anticipating potential problems, recommending alternatives and stepping in when a carefully planned trip suddenly goes wrong.

The consultant’s value increasingly lies in what they know and how they use it, rather than simply having access to a booking system.

Technology no longer the enemy

For independent consultants, adapting to this new reality can be difficult. Many operate without the buying power, preferred supplier relationships, advanced technology and operational infrastructure available to larger travel businesses.

They may also be responsible for administration, finance and day-to-day operations while trying to grow their businesses and maintain relationships with clients.

This is the gap Latitude intends to address. The platform provides access to global travel technology, reporting platforms and operational support tools, including technology that helps consultants access competitive and comparative global rates more efficiently.

For the consultant, that can mean faster quotations, greater pricing visibility and quicker responses to clients. The philosophy is simple: use technology to remove some of the administrative burden, rather than allowing technology to replace the relationship between consultant and client.

READ: State needs to hire jobless graduates to monitor travel agents — Lerato Mvelase

“Travel agents aren’t competing with technology, they’re using it, The consultants who will succeed in the future are those who combine powerful technology with something clients still value deeply: expertise, trust, personal service and human judgement.”

Latitude is also responding to another challenge facing independent consultants: how to grow without losing control of the businesses they built. Rennies says the programme is not simply an ITC hosting arrangement.

Consultants retain ownership of their businesses and client relationships while gaining access to technology, preferred supplier relationships, operational support, training and business development. The programme is aimed at experienced independent leisure travel consultants with an active client base who have been operating for more than two to three years.

The focus, according to Rennies, is therefore not on helping someone enter the travel industry, but on giving established professionals additional infrastructure to scale.

Can independent consultants compete?

That question is becoming increasingly relevant as the travel industry becomes more digital. Independent consultants have to compete differently as large online platforms can offer consumers speed, choice and price comparison.

Their advantage, according to Rennies, is the ability to provide a more personalised service and draw on experience that an automated booking platform cannot replicate. But that human advantage still needs to be commercially viable.

Latitude therefore combines operational support with a scalable revenue-sharing model, designed so that a consultant’s earning potential increases as their business grows.

The programme is also offering an enhanced revenue-share percentage to consultants who join during the initial enrolment period, with Rennies saying the improved share will remain in place for the duration of their agreement. For an established consultant, the proposition is therefore not simply about having another booking platform.

It is about whether stronger infrastructure can allow them to spend less time managing the mechanics of their business and more time growing it.

The future of the travel consultant may ultimately depend on whether the industry can convince travellers that expertise still has value in an age of endless information. The traditional agent who simply books a flight may struggle to justify their role when the same task can be completed online in minutes.

But a consultant who understands a client’s needs, creates personalised experiences, navigates complex travel arrangements and remains available when things go wrong offers something different. That is the market Rennies believes still exists.

“Today’s travellers are often overwhelmed by choice and increasingly value trusted advice, personalised recommendations and the confidence that comes from dealing with an experienced professional,” says Kubheka.

Latitude is Rennies’ attempt to equip independent consultants for that version of the industry, combining the convenience and efficiency of technology with the human expertise that has traditionally been at the heart of travel consulting.

So perhaps the question isn’t whether the travel agent is dead. It is whether the old version of the travel agent can survive. The industry is changing, the traveller is changing and the consultants who want to remain relevant will have to change with them.

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