Travel Agent, OTA, or Direct: How Canadians Book and Why It Is Shifting Fast

In the final part of this exclusive four-part series, Environics Analytics’ Sandra Ware, Director of Client Strategy – Travel looks at how Canadians book travel and why that is shifting.

Ware told Canadian Travel Press that: “Many travellers who prefer agents are also comfortable online. What matters more are factors such as budget, trip complexity and the value placed on time.

Channel data from two national surveys reveal which travellers still trust a travel agent and which do not, Ware writes, observing that: “What they reveal is not a channel war with a clear winner. It is a country of travellers living in very different booking worlds.”

She points out that: “Many travellers who prefer agents are also comfortable online. What matters more are factors such as budget, trip complexity and the value placed on time. People do not choose agents just because they lack digital skills. They choose agents when the trip matters enough to justify expert support.”

For the more insights from Environics Analytics’ Ware, check out the latest issue of CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS.