Hotelbeds’ Bertrand Sava on Gen Z and travel agents in the 21st century travel landscape
The put up Hotelbeds’ Bertrand Sava on Gen Z and travel agents in the 21st century travel landscape appeared first on TD (Journey Every day Media) Travel Daily Media.
Bertrand Sava, basic supervisor for retail and journey businesses for HBX Group’s Hotelbeds, was a part of a panel on the just lately concluded MarketHub 2025 commerce convention which mentioned key developments taking place within the sector, significantly throughout the Asia Pacific.
Sava, in addition to different HBX officers, identified that, removed from turning into out of date, journey businesses and their brokers are thriving properly at the present time.
On this unique interview, Save shares additional insights with Journey Every day Media’s personal Gary Marshall.
Journey Every day Media (TDM) Proper now, journey brokers are in, I believe you used the phrase, a re-emergence of the journey businesses; and also you additionally commented that journey brokers are misunderstood; so, let’s simply contact on these two matters, if we could.
Bertrand Sava (BertS) Let’s begin with the misunderstanding about journey brokers, I’d say.
Really, the instance I gave you, is my very own case; I imply, I’m comparatively new to this trade, right here for 3 years now.
Once I was invited to hitch [HBX Group] to take that function as its retail basic supervisor, I used to be actually enthusiastic about whether or not or not there was an actual and thriving enterprise and rising enterprise; and certainly, there was and it’s nonetheless rising.
What’s stunning is that what is definitely fueling that progress just isn’t solely transactions from the older generations that used to make use of journey businesses recurrently, however from the Gen Z, which is one thing that folks could think about a bit bit stunning.
Certainly, 40 % of Gen Z are conscious that they’re counting on journey brokers every time they ebook their journeys.
They actually need one thing distinctive, one thing that connects to their values.
Gen Z actually desires one thing that fits them so that they worth the expertise all of the extra, significantly the add-ons, the hidden gems they wouldn’t have came upon about.
They worth all that extra than simply the whole value of the journey, and that’s precisely the place journey brokers should be at.
Within the context of overtourism
TDM Okay;now, let’s contact on that phrase over-tourism.
My assumption, and I could possibly be mistaken right here, is that this Gen Z, to make use of your phrases, is on the lookout for extra experiential locations, possibly even getting out of the large cities and so forth.
Are they simply tapping into the journey brokers for one more degree of experience about the place to go that’s past the large cities?
BertS I believe that it’s balanced, proper; because on one hand, they wish to go the place they’ll have that put up, that image, that selfie, and subsequently that’s relying a bit a lot on over-tourism.
Alternatively, additionally they desire to do solo journey, that uniqueness that they’re taking a look at; so I believe they’re additionally open to the potential options to the over-tourism which can contain travelling low season or going to locations that aren’t as well-known because the common points of interest, proper?
TDM You made a remark this morning, and it was so telling: 65 % of vacationers really feel overwhelmed.
And I preferred that saying: An excessive amount of info kills info.
BertS Yeah, it was truly a French journalist who stated that.
However I like it, as a result of there typically actually is an excessive amount of info.
That’s what occurs once you need to ebook someplace and even should you’re simply looking,
You get bombarded by affords; there’s simply an excessive amount of info, and it simply feels overwhelming.
TDM So a variety of these Gen Zs are literally utilizing social media of some form.
You additionally made a remark saying a journey company or agent must be the place the purchasers are.
However, to be extra particular, on what kind of platform do you suppose they must be based mostly in your analysis?
BertS Effectively, I imply, , it’s social media, it’s journey blogs, it’s opinions posted on-line, even immediate messaging platforms.
These are all of the platforms that Gen Z is utilizing lately; and, for journey brokers, that’s the place they should be.
Additionally they should be lively, posting, reacting, and showcasing, as a result of they’re actually making a relationship with shoppers even earlier than they present up on the door, and that’s essential at the moment.
Being service oriented will get outcomes
BertS I believe that profitable journey brokers have at all times targeted on superb customer support.
In the event you give nice customer support, you’ll have a successful enterprise.
I imply, you need your prospects to return again, and they’ll come again in the event that they know that you’re going that further mile they want in some circumstances.
Then they’ll come again for the following one, and the following one after that; so this is essential.
TDM You made a remark within the session that prospects are prepared to spend 67 % extra if the expertise is price it.
Now, are you speaking concerning the expertise with the journey brokers or concerning the precise expertise on the vacation spot?
BertS I used to be talking of that generally.
As a client, you’re able to spend extra if the gross sales expertise is price it, proper?
Now, if the gross sales expertise is nice, the value is much less necessary.
Statistically, Gen Zs hunt down luxurious lodging, and it’s like each two out of three, proper? Wherein case, they’re imply, they’re looking for one thing distinctive, one thing that actually fits their tastes.
One other fascinating statistic is that Gen Z truly spends 20 % greater than the typical traveller.
So, if it’s price it, they’ll do it.
TDM I additionally preferred what was stated earlier at the moment whereby a girl on one of many panels stated that the oldest technology was all “Let’s work now, then journey later.”
BertS However Gen Z desires their journey time now, not after they retire, and they’ll repeat the expertise.
That’s why they suppose it’s price it, and in addition why they’ll fortunately pay up for it.
About Bertrand Sava
A French nationwide, Bertrand Sava has been basic supervisor for retail and journey businesses for HBX Group subsidiary Hotelbeds since March 2022.
He has a well-demonstrated historical past of working within the info expertise and companies trade.
As such, he’s extremely expert within the fields of banking, gross sales administration, in addition to monetary applied sciences (fintech.)
The put up Hotelbeds’ Bertrand Sava on Gen Z and travel agents in the 21st century travel landscape appeared first on Travel Daily Media.