“Alexa, I want to book a vacation”...

August 2, 2021

4 Min read

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Mirko Marmai

VP, Operations, Quo Vadis Travel

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As a company that has been in business for 54 years, Quo Vadis Travel has seen how technology has benefited traditional travel agencies during some of the most challenging and poignant times in history. At Quo Vadis, we have always embraced technology innovations. Just as the world has evolved with technology, so have we.

In our humble beginnings, we were an entirely manual agency, where our agents made the routes using a world map as a guide in order to draw up a file and calculate the rate. Today, we have online access to inventories, fares, and other information to serve the client. With each new decade and pivotal, life-altering moments, we’ve evolved to better serve our customers and thrive during challenging times.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented yet another opportunity to deploy technology to make business operations more efficient but also better serve the changing needs of our clients. During the height of the pandemic when operations were very low, we focused on improving processes by integrating more automation. Using Amazon Alexa, we started to develop voice-activated technology for customers to search and book travel with just a few commands and prompts. Called Myvoicetravel, we leveraged Amadeus Web Services to execute the technology and Amadeus’ access to suppliers’ inventory to distribute the content. Customers can select from a host of flights and hotels and choose an itinerary to book. The success of the integrations came at a pivotal time when the role of technology and travel advisors were critical to rebuilding travel.

Bridging tech and human expertise

As a community, we understand expectations have increased around customer service astravelers are looking for hands-on guidance as they navigate travel again.Although we have Myvoicetravel, we still believe in and value the balance of technology with a human touch to support our customers. People need to be heard and informed on the changes and any detail that concerns their travel plans. For example, what kind of COVID-19 tests are required? Is there still mandatory quarantine at the destination? This first-hand information is obtained through the travel agent who makes their queries through databases and where technology provides the most up-to-date information. To that end, we believe that the combination of technology and human touch is crucial in such a changing and volatile environment. And Myvoicetravel provides a balance that works for our customers and our team.

Currently, travel agents are in higher demand now than before the pandemic. We believe in our value and do not want to lose that human interaction, even in Myvoicetravel. After the sale via the platform, customers can contact the travel agent directly through the same voice channel by saying “speak to a travel agent” and the customer will automatically be connected to an agent.

Future of tech in retail travel agencies

Today, the service of a travel agency is not limited to the sale of a plane ticket or hotel booking but extends to everything that happens after the sale. Whether it’s handling a last-minute change such as rebooking a flight – this is just one reason why a traveler relies on an agency. Technology is enabling us to better serve customers and serve a larger audience as we see travel demand increase. Myvoicetravel is a vehicle to bring voice technology not only to potential travelers but also to other businesses.

Soon we will be able to provide this service to other B2C and B2B travel organizations who need to get quick answers and respond to traveler needs. For example, if they need to change the date of a ticket, it can be done on the platform anytime. We can ask Myvoicetravel questions about the hotel conditions and the app can provide it. If there is a change in the biosecurity parameters of a hotel, the app can recognize the reservations of our passengers and can automatically communicate the changes.

These types of innovations are the future for the retail travel industry and puts us on the fast-track to longevity. Travel is changing, needs are shifting, and technology is evolving. And the most successful travel agencies will be the ones that evolve along with them. Thanks to Amadeus’ vision and partnership, Quo Vadis can use a variety of mediums to better serve our customers now and in the future.

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