Jamie Biesiada
Since the omicron variant of Covid-19 faded into the background earlier this year, agencies have reported being busy. Very busy. Busy to the point that they are turning down business and looking for others to take it.
The trade, it seems, has finally reached the level of consumer awareness everyone predicted at the onslaught of the pandemic. The traveling public understands the value of professional travel advisors and what they bring to the table.
But I worry about those who are turned away, whether an advisor is just too busy or whether they think the booking isn't quite worth the effort.
Will that traveler be left with a bad taste in their mouth? Will they again gravitate to do-it-yourself travel? Will advisors lose what, for many, has been an important way to grow alongside clients, moving from smaller bookings to grander ones as the clients age?
One solution to the problem is forming relationships with other advisors -- either seasoned or new to the industry, especially when the latter is looking for business -- and connecting them with the potential client. Hopefully, many are applying this tactic now.
But what if you don't know other advisors who are looking for work? How do you scale, and scale quickly, to serve a traveling public that is clamoring to work with an agent, in many cases for the first time?
One company believes it has the answer.
Lucia founder Grace McBride started in the industry as a luxury advisor at New York-based MilesAhead. She noticed the industrywide challenge of scaling up to meet increasing demand, and co-founded TripKit, a service and platform to provide assistance to travel advisors. It was acquired by a private buyer this past summer.
McBride then saw another need to be addressed and ... enter Lucia, a freelance marketplace where travel advisors can post services they need help with, and "co-pilots" -- vetted independent contractors, some formerly agents' assistants, others actively working with suppliers and looking for some extra income -- pick up the work. It's similar to Fivrr and Upwork, McBride said.
"This has been something that's been proven in so many industries; we're just trying to bring it to travel," she said.
Travel advisors looking for additional help pay a subscription fee to Lucia ($29 a month or $290 a year), then have the ability to post areas they need help with and what they're willing to pay. The co-pilots on the platform can pick the tasks they're interested in, negotiate the price and get to work. Lucia does take a commission, but most of the money goes to the co-pilots.
The kinds of work that advisors are outsourcing vary. McBride expected most to look for help with pre- and post-booking tasks, but many are "incredibly creative" with their postings. One was on a cruise but needed itineraries printed and shipped; a co-pilot took care of the work. Another was going to be out of the office for several weeks and needed someone to handle client emergencies and take phone calls.
McBride said she hopes Lucia helps agents scale their businesses, especially at a time when demand for advisors is so high.
"We're seeing qualified clients turned away daily," she said. "I think it's going to be challenging for the industry that has gone through a lot and is trying to maintain a strong reputation as it comes out of the pandemic. If they don't meet demand in any marketplace, that's not good, especially after the industry has had some really big challenges over the last few years. I think it's going to be really important for them to sustain demand."
Lucia's main focus is on advisors right now, but in the future McBride sees potential in working with boutique luxury hotels and even private aviation.