Hotelbeds’ Bertrand Sava on Gen Z and travel agents in the 21st century travel landscape

Bertrand Sava, normal supervisor for retail and journey businesses for HBX Group’s Hotelbeds, was a part of a panel on the not too long ago concluded MarketHub 2025 commerce convention which mentioned key tendencies occurring within the sector, significantly inside the Asia Pacific.

Sava, in addition to different HBX officers, identified that, removed from turning into out of date, journey businesses and their brokers are thriving nicely at the present time.

On this unique interview, Save shares additional insights with Journey Day by day Media’s personal Gary Marshall.

Journey Day by day Media (TDM)    Proper now,  journey brokers are in, I feel you used the phrase, a re-emergence of the journey businesses; and also you additionally commented that journey brokers are misunderstood; so, let’s simply contact on these two subjects, if we could. 

Bertrand Sava (BertS)      Let’s begin with the misunderstanding about journey brokers, I’d say. 

Really, the instance I gave you, is my very own case; I imply, I’m comparatively new to this trade, right here for 3 years now. 

Once I was invited to hitch [HBX Group] to take that function as its retail normal supervisor, I used to be actually serious about whether or not or not there was an actual and thriving enterprise and rising enterprise; and certainly, there was and it’s nonetheless rising. 

What’s shocking is that what is definitely fueling that development isn’t solely transactions from the older generations that used to make use of journey businesses commonly, however from the Gen Z, which is one thing that individuals could contemplate slightly bit shocking.

Certainly, 40 % of Gen Z are conscious that they’re counting on journey brokers each time they e-book their journeys. 

They actually need one thing distinctive, one thing that connects to their values.

Gen Z actually desires one thing that fits them in order that they worth the expertise all of the extra, significantly the add-ons, the hidden gems they wouldn’t have discovered about.

They worth all that extra than simply the full price of the journey, and that’s precisely the place journey brokers have to be at.

Within the context of overtourism

TDM      Okay;now, let’s contact on that phrase over-tourism. 

My assumption, and I could possibly be flawed right here, is that this Gen Z, to make use of your phrases, is on the lookout for extra experiential locations, possibly even getting out of the large cities and so forth.

Are they only tapping into the journey brokers for an additional degree of experience about the place to go that’s past the large cities? 

BertS    I feel that it’s balanced, proper; because on one hand, they prefer to go the place they will have that submit, that image, that selfie, and subsequently that’s relying a bit a lot on over-tourism. 

Then again, additionally they desire to do solo journey, that uniqueness that they’re taking a look at; so I feel they’re additionally open to the potential options to the over-tourism which can contain travelling low season or going to locations that aren’t as well-known because the common points of interest, proper?

TDM     You made a remark this morning, and it was so telling: 65 % of vacationers really feel overwhelmed. 

And I appreciated that saying: An excessive amount of data kills data.

BertS   Yeah, it was truly a French journalist who stated that.

However I adore it, as a result of there usually actually is an excessive amount of data. 

That’s what occurs if you need to e-book someplace and even for those who’re simply looking out, 

You get bombarded by provides; there’s simply an excessive amount of data, and it simply feels overwhelming.

TDM    So loads of these Gen Zs are literally utilizing social media of some variety.

You additionally made a remark saying a journey company or agent must be the place the shoppers are.

However, to be extra particular, on what kind of platform do you assume they should be based mostly in your analysis? 

BertS     Nicely, I imply, , it’s social media, it’s journey blogs,  it’s opinions posted on-line, even instantaneous messaging platforms.

These are all of the platforms that Gen Z is utilizing today; and, for journey brokers, that’s the place they have to be.

In addition they have to be energetic, posting, reacting, and showcasing, as a result of they’re actually making a relationship with shoppers even earlier than they present up on the door, and that’s essential in the present day.

Being service oriented will get outcomes

BertS    I feel that profitable journey brokers have all the time targeted on wonderful customer support. 

For those who give nice customer support, you should have a profitable enterprise.

I imply, you need your clients to return again, and they’ll come again in the event that they know that you’re going that additional mile they want in some circumstances.

Then they’ll come again for the following one, and the following one after that; so this is essential. 

TDM     You made a remark within the session that clients are keen to spend 67 % extra if the expertise is value it. 

Now, are you speaking in regards to the expertise with the journey brokers or in regards to the precise expertise on the vacation spot? 

BertS     I used to be talking of that normally.

As a client, you’re able to spend extra if the gross sales expertise is value it, proper? 

Now, if the gross sales expertise is nice, the value is much less necessary. 

Statistically, Gen Zs hunt down luxurious lodging, and it’s like each two out of three, proper? By which case, they’re imply, they’re in search of one thing distinctive, one thing that basically fits their tastes.

One other fascinating statistic is that Gen Z truly spends 20 % greater than the typical traveller.

So, if it’s value it, they’ll do it.

TDM     I additionally appreciated what was stated earlier in the present day whereby a girl on one of many panels stated that the oldest technology was all “Let’s work now, then journey later.”

BertS     However Gen Z desires their journey time now, not after they retire, and they’ll repeat the expertise.

That’s why they assume it’s value it, and likewise why they’ll fortunately pay up for it.

About Bertrand Sava

A French nationwide, Bertrand Sava has been normal supervisor for retail and journey businesses for HBX Group subsidiary Hotelbeds since March 2022.

He has a well-demonstrated historical past of working within the data expertise and companies trade.

As such, he’s extremely expert within the fields of banking, gross sales administration, in addition to monetary applied sciences (fintech.)