Are travel companies hesitant to sell ancillaries?

While ancillaries are often discussed as a way to boost profit, not every travel company has introduced these revenue streams. But what's holding them back?

Mark McLaughlin, CEO of Coras, and Inigo Valenzuela, CEO of Smartvel, opened up about the hesitancy they encounter in the pitching process to travel suppliers.

Mclaughlin identified technology as a roadblock. As an API provider for tickets and events, he said he’s really selling to two sides: marketing and tech.

And if you don’t get a buy-in from both sides, “it's tricky,” McLaughlin said.

Valenzuela said the process of convincing travel companies to jump on board is not going to happen overnight, either.

“Selling is tough because it’s B2B sales. It's a long sales cycle,” he said, adding that there are several decision-makers and factors that need to align, including timing, people and budget.

McLaughlin said that convincing a company to join up and add extras also involves recognizing what a travel company has experienced so far when selling extras and how the company may benefit.

In discussion with senior reporter Morgan Hines in the PhocusWire studio, McLaughlin and Valenzuela touched on an array of topics ranging from artificial intelligence, customer acquisition and retention, the ability to compete and more. 

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