Customer relationships in the retail travel trade - what is the opinion of management?

Abstract

The biggest challenge facing the South African retail travel trade over the past ten years has been the recruitment and retention of customers. A primary reason for this is that human interaction in the retail travel trade is becoming less frequent. In order to be more customer focused, marketers should provide exceptional performance in quality, delivery, and cost competitiveness. The purpose of this article is to indicate the current status of the retail travel trade in South Africa's customer relationships and to provide recommendations to the trade regarding the improved application of the principles of relationship marketing. The target population for this study was 310 travel agencies of which 175 managers and/or owners participated through personal interviews in the completion of questionnaires. The findings of the study indicate that the owners and managers of travel agencies must create an environment which is more accessible for the critical interaction with customers. The loyalty of customers can be increased when customers are provided with the opportunity to share their experiences and comments with the retail travel trade in an interactive manner. For the purpose of this article the term "retail travel trade" refers to all travel agencies registered with the Association of South African Travel Agents (ASATA). The terms "retail travel trade" and "travel agency/travel agencies" will be used interactively throughout the article.