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Travel Agents – Here to Stay
Robert Bailey, President & CEO, Abacus
23 October
TM
11/11/2009 www.abacus.com.sg TM
Experience. Insight. Advantage. www.abacus.com.sg
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"The reports of my death are greatly
exaggerated"
Mark Twain
TM
11/11/2009 www.abacus.com.sg
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Where is your role?
You own the experience from end to end
Processing &
Pre-Trip Reservations Post-Trip
fulfillment
You own the experience from end to end
TM
11/11/2009 www.abacus.com.sg
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Execute your role and do it well
=
TM
11/11/2009 www.abacus.com.sg
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Internet = death of TA?
TM
11/11/2009 www.abacus.com.sg
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It is an opportunity
• Online booking rose strongly in the first
half of 2009
– 13 per cent growth in1Q09
– 30 per cent growth in 2Q09
• Online booking will grow at
11% CAGR over 4 years
• Volume of online sales
increased 20% year on year
• Currently 1 in 5 of all bookings made
each year through the Abacus system
comes through online sources
TM
11/11/2009 www.abacus.com.sg
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Where are the opportunities?
Continued
growth
of online travel
Opportunities New
for technology
specialisation – mobile
Opportunities
Non traditional
Corporate
travel agency
Travel
services
TM
11/11/2009 www.abacus.com.sg
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What can travel agents do?
From ticket Invest in Manage
broker to productivity customer
consultant tools relationships
Going beyond just Increase productivity Increase customer
ticket issuing; provide with a good reporting service and build
advice to travellers system that can customer loyalty
on destination help to track past through effective
information, expenditure and solutions - Abacus
accommodation smoothen future travel ClientBase, Abacus
options, travel budget arrangements PowerSuite and
planning etc Abacus VirtuallyThere
TM
11/11/2009 www.abacus.com.sg
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If we stay as we are…
TM
11/11/2009 www.abacus.com.sg
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Thank You
TM
11/11/2009 www.abacus.com.sg TM
Experience. Insight. Advantage. www.abacus.com.sg
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