Travel agents are being urged to move away from price-led social media posts because of new advertising rules that require them to name the supplier when promoting holiday deals online.
Some say the new rules from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which apply to ‘invitations to purchase’ including social media posts, might be encouraging clients to book direct with the named supplier instead.
Posting in the Travel Gossip Facebook group, one agent who wished to remain anonymous, said:” I have felt that since needing to name the tour operator and ATOL details my enquiries have dropped off massively. I’ve been in the business over 30 years and find it harder every year.”
Carla Hodgson, a Personal Travel Consultant with Hays Travel, said: “I too feel this, I’ve barely posted offers in the last two months. We spend time and effort sourcing and promoting a deal, no effort required from the supplier and it’s an easy booking for them. It just makes no sense at all to promote.
“I’ve consciously targeted long haul, cruise and touring holidays, as they’re less likely to lose a sale enquiry. It’s quite frustrating to be honest. My friends asked if I’ve stopped being a travel agent, they’ve not seen many deals from me for a while.”
Others said that posting offers alone rarely generates bookings, with social platforms increasingly being used to build trust, nurture relationships and inspire customers.
Nick Blyth from Not Just Travel urged agents to focus less on posting deals and more on demonstrating their expertise. “Let’s face it no one makes bookings due to posting offers on social media,” he said.
“It is building connections, showing yourself as a travel expert, marketing hotels directly and not actual deals. Talk about specific cruise lines and ships and extol their virtues.”
Nick said customers were more likely to buy from agents who demonstrate knowledge and trust. “I buy from people who appear to know what they’re talking about,” he said.
“My opinion is that posting deals on social media gets you nowhere. Social media is very much now about showing people who you are, your personality, showing people you know what you are talking about.”
He added that many agents were moving away from deal-led posts altogether. “Inspiring people with content, places, destinations. Speaking to any of my colleagues, so few even post offers anymore.”
World Accessible Holidays Managing Director Paula Hansen said her agency had changed its social media approach amid concerns about the new CMA guidance. “We haven’t seen enquiries drop off, but it has worried us, and we’ve moved to posting more generically than individual deals, unless our own ATOL bonded holidays or trade suppliers,” she said.
“We are starting to market destinations and hotels rather than deals. We are niche as well, so showing the hotels is more important than a specific deal.”
Sarah White from Wanderlux Lifestyle, who runs content creation and marketing retreats for travel professionals, said changing social media algorithms and consumer behaviour mean agents needed to rethink how they post online.
“The old style of marketing travel is becoming outdated,” she said. “It’s why people have to look at the way you market your business, your knowledge and expertise and figure out a way to reach customers but also protect your business.”
She added: “Copy and paste marketing doesn’t work with the algorithm anymore. You’re not being seen. I do feel there is an element that clients are trying to save money by booking themselves. People automatically think it’s easier or cheaper to go direct.”
Yet she also stressed that social media has changed, and agents need to be mindful of what sort of posts get engagement. “Especially when it comes to repeatedly copied posts rather than original user-generated content,” added Sarah.
Another agent, who also didn’t wish to be named, agreed it was ‘a case of rethinking your strategy’. They said: “I haven’t really been posting offers for a long time. I tend to do more personal posts: where I’ve been, what I’ve been booking, enquiries I have, destination and hotel information and talking about what I can offer people if booking with me.
“I have always found my posts get much more interest and interaction with this kind of content.”
Emma, an independent agent who runs Designer Travel By Emma Parry-Thorpe, said she had not seen an enquiry drop-off since the CMA guidance was updated, but warned agents against relying on social media.
“The trick is not relying on social media for all your enquiries,” she said, “I’m almost 39 years in the industry this September, don’t lose faith”.
Emma recommended leaning on existing client bases, with repeat business remaining the biggest driver of her bookings, adding: “Most of my business still comes from repeat clients – over 75% – and I consistently ask them to refer me; referrals are my main marketing.”
She said she also actively contacts previous customers to encourage repeat bookings. “I actively contact my clients every single month at the start of the month for any that booked last year and haven’t re-booked; if I’m quiet I do it two to three months ahead,” she added.
Alongside referrals, Emma said she uses a mix of marketing channels including social media. “I use Facebook, LinkedIn, I advertise in our village local parish magazine, all of this works for me and more, so don’t lose heart.”
“Since issuing our guidance on the new CMA requirements, we’ve had a lot of conversations with members, and the key message is that the rules don’t stop them posting offers. Price-led content is still fine, but the more transactional a post becomes, particularly where it names a specific holiday, price, availability and a route to booking, the more likely it is to count as an ‘invitation to purchase’ and require fuller information. Small changes help, like shifting a call to action from ‘Book now’ to ‘Enquire now’, though it’s always the whole post and customer journey that matter.
“We find the best approach for members who want to build a loyal audience, content that shows their expertise, personality and the time-saving value of using an agent tends to drive much stronger engagement. As AI-led search grows, that kind of expert content also helps reinforce a member’s authority and wider online visibility.”
