INTERNET bookings may be popular, but when it comes to the most frequent travellers, the travel agent still reigns supreme.
A survey of more than 3,000 frequent business travellers from 13 countries in 1999 reveals that 56 per cent of this elite group regularly use a travel agent for airline bookings, and 37 per cent for hotel reservations. By contrast, only 15 per cent of air tickets and rooms were booked through the Internet.
However, agents should not be complacent just because top-tier travellers still use their services. Almost 80 per cent of Asian travellers surveyed had used the Internet to book hotel rooms. More than 70 per cent used on-line services to make airline reservations. Usage may be on the rise, too, as 60 per cent think that Internet booking is reliable, and 56 per cent think it is cost-effective.
Before cashing in their chips, travel agents can take heart: forty per cent of the business travellers surveyed believe the Internet will never replace more traditional sources of information and booking methods. Two-thirds of the travellers said they were happy with travel agents as their main source of travel information.