Traditional travel agencies challenged by the internet

BALEARIC residents account for 11 percent of the total holidays sold over the internet in Spain, according to a study released yesterday by the agency Logitravel.com, which forecasts an increase is reservations to Tunisia and Morocco by Balearic residents during this year. Fifty percent of people who contact a travel agent by internet opt for stays of seven days, with 25 percent wanting to travel at a weekend. The director responsible for the growth of Logitravel.com, Tomeu Bennasar, said that the preferred destinations for Balearic residents are Tunisia and Cuba, which account for 40 percent of bookings. People also habitually choose classic parts of Europe such as France, Italy and Greece as well as Morocco and Egypt.
Forty-five percent of bookings for internal flights made in the islands are for Barcelona, followed by Madrid which takes a 30 percent share, while those for Valencia and Seville only amount to four percent. As for the origin of tourists coming to the islands, Barcelona and Madrid account for 75 percent, followed by Valencia, Seville, Malaga and Alicante.
According to the director of Logitravel, Ovidio Andres, the type of client who books his holidays on the internet is of medium or medium to high income and seeks information well in advance of travelling in comparison with those who book with traditional travel agents, but he “buys much later”. The type of journey reserved by internet is “simpler” than the ones reserved in a traditional agency and usually consists of buying an air ticket, a stay in a hotel and transfers to and from the hotel, he said. Also the internet client “has no patience” so the system has to be quick to give a reply or the client will look elsewhere.