Picked this up off the news wire. The point of the release is that more and more "boomers" are turning to travel sites like Travelocity, Expedia, etc., for their travel needs, and abandoning travel agents in the process.
But, when you look more closely, it's not the whole group. Here's the key point of the story...
"Hitwise research analysts note that as Baby Boomers begin to retire and have more leisure time, this price-conscious group will become an increasingly powerful force on travel meta-search engines."
The good news for travel agents, and anyone not competing primarily on price (shame on you if you are) is that more and more people are searching for meaningful experiences, are paying top dollar for those memories and rely heavily on trusted sources, i.e., friends, family and yes, travel agents to get them there. People inherently want to do business with other people. And more importantly, with people they trust.
Virtually all of the travel agents I know are no longer trying to serve the "price conscious" group. Besides the lack of return, it's just simply no fun. Instead, they focus on those who need their expertise and are willing to pay for it.
A large buyer segment is very attractive on the surface. But, it's usually best to break it down into manageable parts, and focus on the audience who's right for you, especially when you have something intersting and different to offer. Remember, more is often less.