“Travel agents can turn the interest rate discussion into sales conversion,” says AFTA’s Westbury

Australia’s travel agents should use the recently announced interest rate drop to convert queries into firm sales, says The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) chief executive Jayson Westbury.

Mr Westbury told e-Travel Blackboard that travel agents can mention the interest rate drop to clients in much the same way they would the buying power of the Australian dollar.

“Travel agents can turn the interest rate discussion into sales conversion,” he said.

According to Mr Westbury, while official interest rate cuts have not historically had a “material impact on a person’s decision to travel in the short term”, should the rate cut be maintained, Mr Westbury said a growth in consumer confidence may result in more travel.

Flight comparison website cheapflights.com.au expect the rate cut announcement to boost Australia’s strong outbound travel record, referring to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics:

“Figures show a 35 per cent increase in the number of overseas holidays taken in the past three years. Over the same period, the Australian dollar appreciated by 67 per cent against the USD while the average cost of an international holiday decreased by 12 per cent.”