ABOUT five years ago, Paul Ramsay’s millennial sons told him to start hugging his clients at Travel and Sports Australia because it could be the last time he sees them.
This turned out to be sound advice that won the Mt Lawley business the Best Travel Agent Technology Innovation award at the recent National Travel and Industry Awards in Sydney.
“A couple of our younger employees and my two sons said that in five years time we wouldn’t be talking to people, we’d be talking to devices,” Mr Ramsay said.
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READ NOW“We did start hugging customers because they were right, we were losing them to publically listed companies like Wotif.
“So we started investing in innovation and technology.”
Travel and Sports Australia’s e-commerce system is the only platform in WA that bundles flights, accommodation, sporting tickets, conference activities, destination attractions, transfers and more in one customer journey.
Mr Ramsay said the system meant people from all over the world could book online, regardless of the time in Perth.
“We come in to work in the morning and have money in the bank and bookings in the system,” he said.
“The reason it’s so unique is if someone wanted to do it themselves they’d have to go to five or six different websites.”
Mr Ramsay said the opening of Perth Stadium next year created an opportunity to bundle event tickets, a trip to Rottnest Island, flights and accommodation on one site.
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