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Tech trends that will influence travel in 2015
The travel industry is now offering greater flexibility and independence, it's an increasingly attractive career for those new to the travel industry as well as seasoned agents looking for a lifestyle change.
![Rian Bornman](https://biz-file.com/c/1502/257386.jpg)
At a recent educational workshop, hosted by FlightSiteAgent, Bornman rounded up his 10 top tech trends that are set to influence travel in 2015 and how forward-thinking ITCs can adapt:
Agents add value to the booking process by servicing the government, corporates, and small businesses more effectively than they could do it themselves from a procurement perspective. In the leisure space they add value by giving expert advice to seasoned as well as first-time travellers. The human touch remains important in the South African market.
Travel agents who cannot compete on a large scale would do well to take a step back now, see which of their customers they service best, and then focus on doing that well. Very few online travel agencies that appeal to the broader market will survive, because this will require large resources deployed at a competitive advantage.
Bornman adds: "There's no doubt that technology is influencing purchasing behaviour among leisure and business travellers. Against this changing landscape, I think the opportunity for ITCs is to become specialised service providers who use data to truly understand their clients' behaviours. In so doing they can ask: 'Hi Mr Smith, last month you booked a FlySafair ticket to Joburg with me for business and they've got a special at the moment, do you have plans to travel again this month?' This is more tailored, more personal and more human."
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