Most travel agencies want to hire more advisors, but are struggling to do so, according to a study by American Marketing Group.
The group, which has affiliated agencies under Travel Savers, Nest and Affluent Traveler Collection, asked travel advisors in the U.S. and Canada for their thoughts on their biggest professional challenge: the travel advisor shortage.
The date found that 34 percent of travel agencies plan to hire at least one new travel advisor this year, and an additional 35 percent are considering hiring a travel advisor. This shows that demand for advisors is growing, consistent with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' projection that the need for travel advisors will grow by 3% annually through 2032, with 8,600 new job openings each year. There is.
However, 56% of travel agents who lost an advisor during the pandemic have not yet hired a replacement. Two-thirds of travel advisors are over 50 years old, and more advisors are entering retirement age. Only 6% of travel advisors are under the age of 35.
Travel agencies that need to hire more staff this year are finding it difficult to find qualified candidates. Only 7% said it was an easy job, and 59% of respondents thought it was not easy at all.
By far, there are four major issues that are causing the struggle to find great candidates. Candidates don’t have the right skills (49 percent), just want to travel for free (44 percent), aren’t willing to work hard (41 percent), and salaries aren’t high enough to attract serious candidates (41%).
“The travel industry is facing a perfect storm,” said Kathryn Mazza-Barney, AMG chief commercial officer. “At the same time that travelers are eager to partner with seasoned advisors, veteran advisors are leaving the field. We have an obligation to attract talent.”
“We need to shout from the rooftops that travel advisors are thriving,” Mazzavarny said. “You also need to educate your prospects about the realities of the career. Yes, they need the right skills and training. Yes, they will work hard to establish themselves. But the right person will… You will be joining an amazing community of talented people in an industry with endless possibilities.”
However, the demand for new travel advisors comes at a time when travelers are becoming more willing to work with travel advisors. For example, NEST recently celebrated his 20th anniversary by supporting 500 home-based travel agencies. This is just one example of how Travel Advisor isn't going away anytime soon. But change is needed to create a much-needed new generation of travel advisors.
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