How do you view the tenth anniversary of BCD Travel in France?
Valérie Sasset - A tenth anniversary is no mean feat in the life of a company. We're now the third largest TMC in the world, if we set Egencia aside because of their positioning. This means that we no longer have to justify who we are to large companies. In ten years, we have acquired credibility, legitimacy and visibility in the market. We still have this start-up spirit because it's still very young compared to other agencies. There's a lot of dynamism, desire and creativity, and I hope that this will continue for a long time to come. But there are still things to do: we're not very well known in the mid-market, for example.
What has changed since BCD Travel in 2006? ?
V. S. - At the time, it was a company that was being built up, that had won a lot of customers but was struggling because the growth was too strong for the existing structure. The only sure thing was customer focus. All the teams were focused on that, and that's why they joined BCD travel. BCD Travel in France didn't really have a roof over its head, just a few foundations. In ten years, with the group, we have built a really solid edifice. And what's more the people who built this house are still hereto 90%, and the spirit hasn't changed.
BCD Travel France is part of Generation Z
The business travel market has changed a great deal over the last ten years...
V. S. - Indeed: digitalisation and virtualisation have changed the market. But we were lucky enough to be born with it. In fact, BCD Travel France is part of Generation ZSo we're used to dealing with online customers and new entrants. We don't mind doing tests with Airbnb, for example. We're a young company, so it's probably less traumatic than for other agencies.
How is the integration of Airbnb going?
V. S. - This poses no particular technical problem, except that for a TMC data integration degrades productivity. It's also more complicated in terms of duty of care and customer experience, which we can't necessarily guarantee. But if a traveller opts for this type of accommodation, we can imagine that they are prepared for something different.
Is this a global approach initiated by BCD Travel?
V. S. - One of the special features of BCD Travel is that we are allowed to experiment according to the specific characteristics of each market. France is particularly mature in terms of new technologies, so we didn't wait until the other markets were ready. There are of course global tools deployed on an international scale, but we have the right to test. That's the Dutch way of thinking: you can make mistakes. It was in France, for example, that the Air Refund approach to compensation for air travel delays was initiated. Since then, the contract has been rolled out across Europe.
So there's no problem in working with a partner who is intrinsically linked to another business travel agency, in this case FCM France?
V. S. - No, that's not a problem. It's proof of our openness. We're not competing in the old-fashioned wayThe idea is to get in each other's way. There's room for everyone. Differentiation is complex for TMCs, but it does exist. This solution is in the interests of the customer, so it was in our interest to adopt it.
How would you describe the current state of the TMC market, which doesn't seem to be quite out of the woods...
V. S. - The agencies are not doing well. Since the attacks, companies have restricted their travel. Recovery takes time. Our figures haven't been great since the end of last year. The French economy is not flourishing, companies save money, they travel less and for less. Our competitors are suffering from this effect, in addition to the growing power of online, for which our teams are well equipped.
The adoption of teleworking at BCD Travel should contribute to this...
V. S. - We had already introduced this system four or five years ago with our sales teams. When we moved premises, we extended it to all departments, adapting the format to each function. It's tailor-made teleworking. Today, 20% of our workforce in France work from home.
To what extent do these developments also reflect changes in the profession?
V. S. - Technology is evolving, and so are agents... The travel agent's perimeter is shrinking. Many transactions are now handled online. So we need offline agents who are experts.
We live in wonderful times: anything seems possible and that's incredibly stimulating.
Can we imagine artificial intelligence replacing the travel agent in the more or less long term?
V. S. - It's not out of the question. Maybe not for 100%, but for part of the business, yes. It's interesting to see that in the United States, where leisure travel agencies had all but disappeared, we're once again seeing the emergence of local players who are launching into niches and very specific concepts. There are clearly a "revival"Travel agencies across the Atlantic. The Internet is such a jungle, and finding your way around can be so complex that the expert's advice makes sense. And it's the same in business travel. We are likely to lose certain areas of business to artificial intelligence, but at some point the need for expertise will re-emerge. We live in wonderful times: everything seems possible, and that's incredibly stimulating.
What are your priorities for 2016?
V. S. - We were the first to explain that after having focused on buyers and travel managers, we were now putting the emphasis on travellers to influence their behaviour rather than control it. We were told that we were expected to play a policing role. This type of approach cannot work with the new generations. We need to give them the tools they use in their daily lives. Our developments therefore concern mobility and "Traveller engagement" Involve travellers in complying with the travel policy. La gamification is one of these tools. At the beginning, some companies didn't understand our approach, asking us to give travellers a framework with strict laws to apply. Now, everyone agrees that, on the contrary, we need to support travellers, find solutions for them when they travel, and influence them to comply with the rules of their travel policy on their own initiative, to find the right solutions for them. intelligible and intelligent.
For many observers, TMC needs to rethink its business model. What are your thoughts on this?
V. S. - And she's managed to do it so far! When I arrived, the travel agency was a profit centre for the company. In a short space of time we have become a cost centre. We have adapted, which proves that we know how to do it. There's a terrible price war going on at the moment. The model will continue to evolveIt's not finished yet. But I think it's rather clever and satisfying.
How do you view the direct distribution favoured by some suppliers?
V. S. - It doesn't scare me at all. When a company entrusts its travel budget to a TMC, it's for the consolidation of data and for support in managing its travel programme. Lufthansa can distribute directbut who will consolidate the data for the company? It's not optimal, it's not fluid. It's an economic aberration. Travellers have other things to do than waste their time booking every aspect of their journey themselves.
What progress has been made in bringing together travel management and MICE?
V. S. - This is a trend that has been announced for some time now, but we are not seeing any convergence in calls for tender, with the exception of a few pharmaceutical companies. We have a dedicated department, for which we have just recruited a manager for France. I'm counting on strong growth for BCD Travel in this market. We're going to work towards that, in any case.
What are BCD Travel's latest product launches?
V. S. - Last year we focused on the launch of Decision Source with Analytics. This year our focus has been on the launch of TripSource Hotelsa hotel reservation solution. We have developed a hotel platform aggregating several sources, both chain hotels and non-GDS establishments, and which will be accessible via our mobile application. Full roll-out will take place by the end of the year.
What happens next?
V. S. - The next development will be the Disruption service, which will proactively assist travellers in the event of unforeseen circumstances. For example, if a business traveller is going to miss a connection due to a flight delay, it will be possible to book a new flight in advance.
How do you see BCD Travel in ten years' time?
V. S. - I hope that we'll be totally different, that we'll be even more focused on new technologies, that our travel agents will be working with much more user-friendly tools.
