Highlights of the initiatives, part of the Travel Agent Roadmap launched two years ago, include an updated Business Transformation Through-Train Programme to guide the implementation of revamped business models; a Travel Technology Challenge and technology solution call-out to boost digital capabilities; and a Travel Talent Transformation & Management (T3) Programme to attract and retain staff.
The Singapore Tourism Board and the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) announced several new and updated initiatives to help travel agents transform their businesses and stay relevant at the STB-NATAS Travel Agent Industry Forum 2018 on November 16 (Friday).
Highlights of the initiatives, part of the Travel Agent Roadmap launched two years ago, include an updated Business Transformation Through-Train Programme to guide the implementation of revamped business models; a Travel Technology Challenge and technology solution call-out to boost digital capabilities; and a Travel Talent Transformation & Management (T3) Programme to attract and retain staff.
Ong Ling Lee, director, travel agents and tourist guides of STB, said, “As we enter the third year of the Roadmap, we are refining the different types of support for travel agents to equip them with the relevant tools and resources that they might need to tap growth opportunities. We are confident that the initiatives launched today… will help our travel agents become true designers of travel experiences.”
As part of the six-month Business Transformation Through-Train Programme, selected agents will get to explore new ideas during a workshop, go on study trips and consult with industry experts to fine-tune their business strategy.
For instance, Pegasus Travel Management, which participated last year, has since been able to expand its core customer base of corporates to leisure travellers and improve their services with an e-passport solution that can combine anything booked with the Global Distribution System (GDS), according to managing director Charles Tan, who is also the secretary-general of NATAS.
The enhanced Programme will feature twice a year and provide more consultation opportunities.
On the technology front, NATAS will launch a Travel Technology Challenge to better identify agent-centric solutions. An offline-to-online (O2O) portal, which will serve as “a plug-and play solution for travel agents who currently do not have an online presence”, is also in the works, according to STB.
In terms of manpower, the new T3 Programme will serve as a diagnostic tool to help agents identify and solve their HR issues via one-on-one consultations, masterclasses and site visits to learn about best practices.
More resources will also be channeled to better market the industry. “Many potential hires today still see travel agents as straightforward order-takers who will soon be completely replaced by technology. It is important to show them that travel agents are so much more than that – as travel experts, crisis managers, trip curators and product developers,” said Keith Tan, chief executive of STB.
Since the inception of the Roadmap, many agents have taken up the initiatives and applied for grant support to take their business to the next level. According to STB, 98 projects have received grant from the Business Improvement Fund (BIF). One of them is 30-year-old Euro-Asia Holidays, which is in the midst of transforming its website and rolling out an app, Native, for on-the-go travellers.
Said CEO Wee Hee Ling, “We want to build an ecosystem where we personalise experience for customers from end to end.”
Also shared during the forum is the forming of a new Tour Operators Alliance by a group of local operators that include Monster Day Tours, Let’s Go Tour Singapore, Singapore Sidecars, Ruby Dot Trails, and Tribe.
Said TY Suen, founder of Monster Day Tours and spokesperson for the alliance, “We want to change the perception that Singapore is more than just a short-stay destination. This can only be done by putting out more interesting content in terms of experiences that go beyond the usual attractions like Sentosa and Gardens by the Bay. We want to tell the true Singapore story.”