New online resource hub to ease traveller qualms

The online resource will provide travellers with all the information needed to make informed decisions about their upcoming travels. Picture: Engin_Akyurt/Pixabay.

The online resource will provide travellers with all the information needed to make informed decisions about their upcoming travels. Picture: Engin_Akyurt/Pixabay.

Published Jul 2, 2020

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Restoring confidence in the travel experience is crucial for the recovery of the business travel sector, which is why Corporate Traveller will launch a new online resource hub to ease travellers' qualms about travel. 

The online travel resource hub, which will be launched in South Africa on July 6, will provide travellers with all the information needed to make informed decisions about their upcoming travels. The company also launched its Pledge Campaign consisting of four well-defined traveller pledges aimed at rebuilding traveller confidence. 

In South Africa, as in the rest of the world, the travel sector is gradually reopening with more airports approved to open and more hotels ready to welcome guests safely. However, as the industry is reopening, the question is whether travel demand will follow suit?

Oz Desai, General Manager Corporate Traveller, said IATA research revealed that four out of five air passengers still fear an increased risk of coronavirus infection from flying.

"Providing travellers with reliable and up-to-date facts will go a long way in mitigating any fears about the travel experience. 

There's also a dedicated online travel resource hub, an in-depth ‘State of the Market’ survey and a series of #BackToBusiness videos where consultants take viewers on a first-hand travel experience in the new world. It is important to address these fears by providing customers with reliable and accurate facts,” he said. 

Desai said technology alone is not enough to rebuild traveller confidence. “Artificial intelligence is great to get information and facts quickly to the traveller at any time of the day or night, but the human connection is still very much needed, especially in uncertain times like the Covid-19 era. When dealing with a crisis or stressful situation, humans want to be able to reach out to other humans. 

"While a chatbot or robot may help them with hard facts, it’s the human-to-human empathy when the customer calls a representative that is needed to truly rebuild traveller confidence," he said.

The company is conducting an in-depth global ‘State of the Market’ survey, which will be released in phases over the coming months. "This is an ongoing research project, including customer polls in phase one and two, which will be followed by further in-depth customer interviews and focus groups over the next two months. 

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