Here’s a fact, only 50 percent of travel businesses make it past the first five years of operation and a paltry one-third make it past the 10-year mark. Although there are numerous reasons why they fail, lack of differentiation would certainly top the list.
With so many players in the travel industry, making it one of the fastest growing industries in the marketplace, ensuring your travel agency stands out is critical to your company’s success. Claiming that your agency specializes in all things travel does not help your business at all. In fact, it alienates your prospects who wonder why they should choose your company and for which services.
Sadly, many businesses fall into this trap, thinking everyone must be attended to lest they miss out on revenue opportunities. They couldn’t be more wrong!
If you want to excel in the travel business today, your business must stand out and get noticed. Otherwise, you’ll look just like every other penguin in the flock. Here are a few ideas to get your business on its own pedestal.
Provide Exemplary Service
A lot of travel agencies attempt to differentiate themselves by the service they offer, however, just saying it is not enough. You have to actually, deliver the exemplary service that your clients cannot get anywhere else. This service should go far beyond what other travel agents are offering.
Solve Problems
If you want to win over customers and ensure they stay with you, you have to be the go-to-travel-agent to solve their problems. Go all out to eliminate all of the travel complications that clients experience and create an experience that is completely different from what other travel agencies provide. Solve a common or not so common problem consistently and you are sure to stand out.
Define Your Niche
As we have already established, when you try to serve everyone, you end up serving no one. This is especially true with the travel business. Choosing a business model that defines your business is critical to help especially prospects to determine if your company is the right fit for them. Define who you serve, what you offer and how frequently.
For instance, specializing in Bali as a holiday destination paradise, home of water activities, and theme and water parks.
Offer guarantees
Guarantees are a powerful way to ease the perceived risk of using your services or packages. By simply eliminating, a hesitation for making a purchase makes your travel company more trustworthy, hence driving up your sales.
Create a Memorable Company Culture
Creating an amazing company culture will not only help your travel agency to stand out, but it will also help you attract and keep top talent. Your employees are the ones who dispense your values to clients and in turn, it becomes beautiful memorable experiences for your clients. That alone is a powerful marketing tool for your travel business.
There are plenty of other ways to get your company to stand out. Just think out of the box, and always on the lines of adding value to your clients.
