Due to growing competition, retaining customers has become a significant challenge for most travel agencies. To achieve this objective, they focus on enhancing the quality of their services. And as far as possible, they make their services convenient for their customers. In pursuit of it, they do not even shy away from including offbeat ideas in their scheme of things. They do so to win the trust and confidence of their clients. But even with such efforts, a travel agency may fall short of meeting the expectations of its clients due to minor aspects.
For example, consider the case of a travel agency that is far from its client’s location. Offering personalized services to clients can be tricky for such a firm. It may also face an issue with building connections in a distant place. The best solution to both of these problems is to partner with a destination management company (DMC).
A DMC works as an on-ground partner for its client travel agency. As such, the latter can work with the former and benefit from the partnership in many ways. Here I have elaborated on certain important points after discussing them with Mr. Manoj Tulsani, who has been in this field for over 1.5 decades.
How Travel Agencies Can Reap the Benefits of Working with a DMC
DMCs offer personalized and reliable services to help their clients in the best possible way. By realizing its potential, a DMC can benefit its client company in the following ways:
- By Planning a Local Event
Planning for international events is imperative for most travel agencies. However, working out the blueprint for such an event from another destination is easier said than done. It can be more challenging for a travel company to accomplish the task if it is far from the event location. A DMC can help a travel agency with it. To ease the latter’s workload, the former can take care of the following:
- International business meetings
- Sporting events
- Conferences
- Weddings
The presence of staff members on the ground is essential for the success of any international event organized by a travel agency. It may not be possible for a travel agency if the place where it operates is not easily accessible. In such cases, a destination management company can extend its helping hand to provide staff members on the ground.
Besides, a destination event management company can also make the event of its client company successful in other ways. These include guiding the attendees of the event from the beginning till the end and providing them with valuable insights into package deals.
A destination management company also lends a helping hand to planning of wedding events in the same way. It works to achieve two objectives simultaneously: providing customers with needs-based services and also ensuring their convenience while doing so.
2. By Managing Local Tours
For DMCs, it is a lot easier to work with the local community than off-site agents. The local presence of a DMC makes it possible. The staff members who work in it are well acquainted with the local language, culture, and customs. They also know about the local weather conditions, navigation options, and safety guidelines. This enables them to easily guide their clients when they take history tours, food tours, and safaris.
3. By Offering Valuable Insights into the Availability of Accommodation Options
Most places have both luxury and budget accommodation options for visitors. However, all of them may not be on the same page. Every visitor wants the best option according to their budget and requirements. DMCs keep a list of such options for visitors. They compile the list with special care and include only safe and budget-friendly options. By doing this, it assures customers that they can pick their choice of accommodation.
4. By Handling Transportation Logistics
From car rental services to bus rides and pick-up at the airport to a train ride, a DMC can handle all kinds of transportation requirements for its client companies. The partnership between a DMC and its client company is based on trust. The latter trusts the former, primarily due to its versatility and service expertise.
If a travel agency is not within easy reach of the location where its services are required, managing the transportation needs of clients locally can be a challenge. A company that is based locally in the area can handle this requirement with finesse. This is precisely where partnering with a DMC can help a travel agency. It allows a travel agency to have all the suitable options to handle the transportation requirements of its customers.
5. By Providing VIP Services
These days, most DMC companies look to go the extra mile when it comes to providing value-added services like transporting travelers to their hotel from the airport, providing real-time expert advice, and offering other additional services.
With that said, these services are optional by nature. So, a provider of travel services must enquire about the availability of services before partnering with a DMC. Conducting due diligence on reputation can also be helpful for such providers.
DMCs Can Create a Win-Win Situation for Travel Agencies in the Post-Covid Phase
The economies of the majority of nations across the globe are still recovering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic that took the world by surprise towards the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020. A lot has changed over the last year and a half. As a result of the improvement in the current situation, most people who stalled their travel plans due to the pandemic and its lockdowns have started showing an interest in traveling to their intended destinations. This gives travel agencies a ray of hope to recover from their losses during the Covid-19 period.
Active collaboration with DMCs can help travel agencies serve their customers in the best possible manner. It will benefit such agencies in two ways: they will get more business, plus they will be able to retain their existing customers. Both these benefits will create a win-win situation for the travel industry.
Final Thoughts
Given the above benefits of DMC companies, it stands out that travel agencies can benefit from partnering with them in many ways. The recovery of the global economy, coupled with the technical transition in the post-pandemic phase, will bring new ways of collaboration with DMC to benefit travel agencies. I strongly believe that travel agencies should look for destination management companies that suit their vision and mission. This is the best way to grow one’s company.