Pimp my travel agency

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Arabian Travel News joined forces with global shop fitting manufacturer and retail design consultancy firm Wanzl to critique the retail space of three major Dubai travel agencies.

For many years travel agents operating in the Middle East have based themselves in offices as opposed to fancy retail spaces, unlike more mature markets, particularly those in the Western World, where competitive High Street travel agencies displayed fancy logos, packed their windows with summer getaway deals and were laden with brochures brandishing pretty pictures of idyllic holiday locations.

But today, the Middle East's travel industry is undergoing a rapid transformation.

It is no longer sufficient for travel agencies to sell airline tickets alone. Challenges posed by the commission-cutting measures taken by airlines plus the direct-sell and online tactics of other travel suppliers have forced agents to diversify.

This has meant selling holidays and tailormade packages and specialising in niche markets.

As this evolution takes place, so too must the way in which travel agents present their products and services to the consumer.

It is no longer sufficient to set-up-shop in a dingy office in Deira and hope that customers will come to you.

The large number of shopping malls springing up all over the region has led to forward-thinking agents - and those with cashed-up owners - to branch out into a new retail format.

Both agencies and operators have snapped-up spaces in sought-after mall locations while many are rolling out ‘holiday shops' in areas close to large clusters of potential leisure travellers.

The idea is that by positioning yourself in a mall, you are guaranteed to lure the crowds due to the high volume of foot traffic these retail havens usually summon.

But are you? Many agencies have opened outlets in malls, but have failed to use their retail space wisely and as a result, are failing to entice customers into their store.

ATN decided it was time to give agencies some hints and tips on how to make the most of their retail space in these prime locations.

Inspired by the well-known MTV series ‘Pimp My Ride', whereby experts revamp or ‘pimp' the cars (the ‘ride') of viewers, giving them a complete facelift, we decided to launch the ‘Pimp my travel agency' initiative.

ATN teamed up with international shop fitting manufacturer and retail design consultancy firm Wanzl Middle East FZE, which has offices based in the Gold & Diamond Park in Dubai, to critique the holiday shops of three local agencies.

With the permission of their managers we selected Al-Futtaim Travel's Mall of the Emirates branch (located on the ground floor opposite Carrefour); Al Rostamani Travel's brand new Dubai Marina branch (located next to the Tamani Hotel on Jumeirah Beach Road); and Sharaf Travel's Ibn Battuta branch (located on the ground floor of the mall next to Géant supermarket).

In order to set the scene, Wanzl key account manager and retail consultant Daniel Cornelissen, Wanzl interior architect designer Golzar Sanganian and the ATN team visited each branch where they took photos, interviewed the managers about what their target markets and what they wanted to achieve and then made notes on each retail outlet according to the following criteria: concept, design elements, functional space, size in square metres, service and customer area, integration of digital and multi-media elements, themes, sustainable design, as well as organic and decorative elements.

In addition, Wanzl asked for extra technical specifications such as floor plans, elevation drawings, lighting and electrical layout and the budget for building and/or revamping.

The results were then discussed and Cornelissen and Sanganian - who for the purposes of this article are referred to as ‘D&G' (Daniel and Golzar) - provided a run-down of the areas of strength and weakness of each travel agency branch.

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