The Hindu Business Line : Travel agencies face shortage of manpower

The opportunity to travel and have a good social life, once the perks of the travel business, are no longer the preserve of those who work in this field, said a senior travel agent in Chennai.

Ms Shobana Lazarius, Managing Director, Sky Routes India Pvt Ltd, said that agencies are unable to attract talent mainly because of their inability to match the salaries paid by the business process outsourcing (BPO) companies.

In the smaller agencies, the entry-level salary for a fresh graduate in Chennai will be Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000, while salaries at the larger ones may go up to Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000. A fresher with a similar qualification will get about Rs 10,000 in a BPO. Travel agencies look for people with a good personality, a basic degree, communication and inter-personal skills and an ability to adapt, according to Mr N.R. Kumaraswamy, Chairman, Southern Region, The Travel Agents Association of India. But this category of staff seems hard to come by, he said. Senior travel managers said that there is a disinterest in the routine of agency work. The average counter staff member does not pay attention to details, which results in passengers being put to hardships.

In addition to this, airlines have become strict and errors while generating a ticket are rewarded by huge debit notes, Ms Lazarius said. So any profit you make will go with the debit notes, she said.

Untrained manpower is the biggest drawback for the industry. Travel companies do not want to spend on training their manpower and moreover, there is no such infrastructure available with them, said Mr Kamal Hingorani, Head & Vice President, Kuoni Academy of Travel.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council report, the demand for trained manpower in the travel industry is 10 lakh persons a year. Mr Hingarani said that only a fraction of this demand is met. There are a few institutes and colleges, which now offer travel and tourism courses.

Mr Anil Bhandari, Managing Director, International Travel House, said that BPO jobs have limiting factors like career growth, life style and timings. But a job in a travel agency gives a young person many opportunities in other areas as well.

Travel agencies are adding a call centre model to the traditional business model. The best part of it is that a young recruit can also look at running his own business after gaining the relevant experience in a travel agency, he said.

Ms Meher Bhandara, General Manager, Corporate Communication, TCI, said that in general, BPO jobs are stressful and affect one's health, since BPO associates work against the body clock.

Mr Bhandari pointed out that the travel business is undergoing a lot of change, as it is moving away from commission-sharing to the management and transaction fee concept.

The changing scenario would augur well for professional travel experts and consultants, as the emphasis would be on quality of service, response time and accuracy of information provided, he said.

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