LAS VEGAS -- Are we living in the "golden age of the travel advisor?"
Ensemble president Michael Johnson believes so.
"Once again, people have been asking the wrong questions. How many times have you been asked, is AI a threat? Is the travel advisor an endangered species?" Johnson said. "Of all of the questions, the really important one is actually quite simple. What's the best way to book travel? What's the best customer experience? And that, my friends, is a no-brainer. Never before has the power of you been stronger or more compelling."
Johnson was speaking on stage this week during Ensemble's Horizons event, held at Resorts World Las Vegas.
He argued that between the technology tools and information available today, ranging from generative AI platforms to Ensemble-specific things like marketing and training, advisors can focus more on selling travel.
"There's never been a better time to be an advisor," Johnson said. "It's never been a better time to be an Ensemble advisor."
But the 2024 Travel Industry Survey from Travel Weekly and Phocuswright does point to a trend that's concerning to Johnson: On average, U.S. travel advisors work 34.9 hours each week. Their Canadian counterparts work an average of 35 hours per week.
Travel Weekly editor in chief Arnie Weissmann offered the statistics during a session Tuesday, offering a sneak peek at the annual survey, which will be fully covered in the Nov. 18 edition.
"It doesn't surprise me," Johnson said of how much advisors work in a week. "It does concern me a little bit."
Last year, Johnson recalled, he spoke about how long it can take travel advisors to earn a living wage in the profession. This year, seeing that advisors work an average of 35 hours per week suggests to him many are supplementing their travel advising incomes with other careers, like real estate or other sales-focused jobs.
"It's so hard to make ends meet," Johnson said. "We've got to do a better job as an industry, quite frankly, of lifting everybody up."
Weissmann offered some more statistics on why clients book with advisors. Most, 38%, said their clients book with them because of their personal relationship, followed by customer service (30%) and expertise (26%). Coming in next at a distant 3% was price.
Johnson called those statistics "perplexing."
"There are so many among us who believe price is the No. 1 value proposition -- 'Come to me and I can get you a better deal,'" he said.
But that kind of attitude leaves advisors vulnerable to technology, he said. Instead, advisors should focus on their own value proposition as travel professionals.
"Your worth is not about getting the best deal," he said.
Advisors who took the survey were also asked about their familiarity with generative AI. Most are aware of generative AI platforms, with only 14% saying they weren't. Forty-five percent said they are aware of generative AI platforms but have not used them, while 41% said they had used them. Most using generative AI employed it for creating marketing or website content.
While generative AI initially sparked a lot of fear, Johnson said, the industry has largely moved away from that.
"We realize that this is just another arrow," he said. "It's another tool."
He encouraged advisors to connect with their peers using the technology to find out more about it. It's a good way to reduce administrative tasks and focus on selling and engaging with customers, Johnson said.
Ensemble adds air desk, new CRM
During Horizons, Johnson announced an air desk that all Ensemble advisors can use, AirConcierge. Ensemble will fulfill air bookings for member agents who don't want to book air themselves, and the agents will receive commission. The air desk is available for advisors at no cost.
Ensemble members are also getting access to a new CRM tool, HubSpot, senior vice president of marketing Shahla Lalani announced. The tool will house all customer information and marketing campaign data in a single place. It's integrated with Ensemble's marketing program.
HubSpot should help agents save time on manual, repetitive tasks, Lalani said, giving them more time to focus on selling travel.
Additionally, Ensemble is giving advisors the chance to get certified in a variety of verticals and destinations by taking courses. Right now, the luxury cruise certification is live, senior vice president of operations Kristina Boyce said, with more to come.
Advisors who complete the certification (luxury cruise will take approximately 60 hours, Boyce said) will not only get support and marketing materials around their certification, but a community of other graduates to collaborate with.