John Veitch exclusive on the future of travel
For the recently appointed head of The Travel Corporation in Australia, our travellers are some of the best in the world. But Australians affinity for travel means that they have to keep striving and improving.
“The Australian traveller has higher expectations of travel and their holiday and this is partly due to greater knowledge than what they have had previously,” TTC CEO John Veitch said.
“Australians’ propensity to travel is resilient and it’s strong.”
Veitch acknowledges Aussie traveller fatigue – a term he coined.
“My belief is there is a limited number of times someone wants to go to Fiji, Bali and Thailand. There’s no doubt that they want something more,” Veitch said.
Just what is that something more? “People want experiences, memories and new friendships.”
TTC’s brands are well-poised to deliver this. The social element of travel is oft-forgotten in the industry when bogged down in bookings, product and itineraries, but it would be remiss to neglect how critical it is.
“It’s the fun of those friendships you make as a large group,” Veitch said.
Tapping into that social element serves all of The Travel Corporation’s brands, from Contiki and Busabout to the high-end Insight Vacations.
The Travel Corporation has successfully maintained diverse brand identities yet there are commonalities to be found among the differences.
It all boils down to making social and travel connections, something Veitch doesn’t see changing. “In five years time it will be increasingly experiential,” Veitch said.
In fact, Veitch predicts the future of travel to adhere quite strongly to what it is today.
“I think there’s a lot of commentary around currency and consumer confidence and then they are counter balanced by incredibly cheap airfares to Europe, for example. While there are some headwinds there are amazing opportunities to travel.”
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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