NB: This is a viewpoint by John Howell, managing director at Multicom.
The recent decision by Thomas Cook to announce the closure of 195 shops with the loss of 1,600 retail jobs has led inevitably to headlines that suggest the imminent death of the offline travel agent.
Again.
Cook’s decision was greeted with headlines such as "Thomas Cook’s retreat from the High Street" and similar reactions that suggested this was the death knell for the traditional sales channel for the industry.
Hot on the heels of that news came the results of a poll by TripAdvisor that showed only a small number of British holidaymakers use a High Street travel agent to book their holidays these days.
The figures suggest only 7% book via a High Street agent while only 4% use them as a source of information to inform their holiday choice.
Travel review sites (38%), online travel agencies (19%) and operator web sites (16%) were cited as the three most popular online research tools.
Reality check
So is the High (Main) Street really about to turn into your own street as more and more people use the power of the internet to plan and book a holiday?
Well, the reality is that Thomas Cook will have almost the same amount of shops in the UK after the planned closures as it did three years ago.
That is hardly a retreat of terminal proportions.
Of course the demand for traditional bricks and mortar travel stores in the future may be diminishing but it is unlikely to see them wiped off the face of the earth for a while yet.
However, there is clearly pressure for retailers like Thomas Cook to adapt to the threats they face from new and emerging technologies.
In an age when nearly every consumer has access in some form to the internet, whether that be via a computer, a mobile or a tablet device there is no substitute for personal service.
Twitter and Facebook are fine for sharing views and opinions but not every tweet or post can offer the kind of professional advice and experience a well-travelled agent can impart.
Evolution not revolution
High Street travel agents need to evolve to survive and I have no doubt the shops of the future will look a lot different than they do today.
They must build on their in-depth product knowledge, deliver first class customer service and embrace new and emerging technology if they are not to get left behind.
If the travel sector is not going to be the next casualty of the economic downturn and change in consumer buying habits following in the steps of HMV, Jessops and other high profile names in the UK alone who have lost out as a result of failing to adapt to the changing world they have to act now.
If they fail to heed the warning signs the obituaries may not be too premature after all.
NB: This is a viewpoint by John Howell, managing director at Multicom.
NB2: Mouse aircraft image via Shutterstock.