Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow: Why Now is the Time for Travel Companies to Invest in CX
Why now is the time to invest in customer experience
While customer experience (CX) doesn’t always top the priority list, smart travel brands know it’s a long-term investment that pays off – especially when built around three key levers for sustainable growth:
- First, the financial upside is undeniable. Retaining customers is far cheaper – and more profitable – than constantly acquiring new ones. Even small increases in retention can lead to major gains in profit and loyalty.
- Second, the cost of a poor experience is high. In a market where customers switch brands after just one or two negative interactions, failing to meet expectations is a fast track to churn. And yet, most companies still overestimate how well they deliver on CX.
- Third, technology has changed the game. Legacy tools like post-trip surveys aren’t enough anymore. The shift is toward real-time insight, AI-driven personalisation, and joined-up journeys that turn customer data into action.
Why many travel brands get CX ROI wrong
In the travel industry, there’s often a fixation on quick wins. But long-term success hinges on loyalty, retention, and lifetime value – and these don’t show up in monthly dashboards. To get CX right, companies need to shift from surface-level metrics to deeper, data-driven insight.
Short-term thinking skews the numbers
Many travel brands obsess over immediate performance – site visits, clicks, or this quarter’s bookings – forgetting that most customers only book once or twice a year. True impact lies in tracking longer-term indicators: retention, repeat bookings, word-of-mouth, reduced churn, and operational efficiency. CX ROI isn’t about instant gratification – it’s about compounding returns over time.
Customer feedback: collected, then ignored
Too often, feedback is either not gathered consistently or not acted on. Every stage of the journey – from pre-booking queries to post-trip surveys – offers valuable signals. Used well, these insights can identify friction, improve services, and increase loyalty. Used poorly – or not at all – they become missed opportunities that competitors will gladly capitalise on.
Vanity metrics cloud the view
Likes, shares, and page views might make reports look good, but they rarely translate into revenue. Obsessing over vanity metrics can mask deeper issues like poor conversion or low customer retention. What really matters are metrics tied to growth: booking completion, repeat rates, customer lifetime value. If a number doesn’t help drive business outcomes, it’s just noise.
They don’t own the full journey
CX isn’t just about the booking confirmation or the trip itself – it’s every interaction before, during, and after. The brands that win are the ones who own the whole experience, using the space between booking and departure to inform, engage, upsell, and build anticipation. Post-trip, they keep the relationship alive, laying the groundwork for the next booking.
The bottom line
Travel brands that focus only on short-term wins miss the bigger picture. By shifting toward long-term value – through smarter data, meaningful feedback, and end-to-end journey ownership – they can turn CX into a true growth engine.
In today’s hyper-competitive market, exceptional customer experience isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s a non-negotiable. The brands that get this right won’t just survive. They’ll lead.
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