TRAVEL AGENCIES: CHALLENGES FOR A MARKET UNDERGOING RESTRUCTURING

Abstract

The distribution of the tourism product has changed in recent decades. Technological advances and the liberation of the markets have transformed the market and imposed major challenges on tourism businesses to remodel their companies, altering the focus and operation of the organization, or even the entire sector. Outstanding phenomena in today’s environment, such as electronic commerce and de-mediation, have brought profound impacts on the activities of travel agencies, generating, at the same time, threats and opportunities. This work discusses the prospects and challenges of two types of agency which are most commonly found in the Brazilian market: emissive and receptive agencies. It observes the economic, market, technological, political and ethical issues which present a challenge to these companies. Key words: Travel agencies, Trends, Tourism.