"Tourism as a State policy", the main conclusion of the II UNAV Forum held in Cordoba.

The 2nd UNAV Tourism Forum kicked off on Wednesday, November 17, and was held this year in Córdoba through Friday, November 19.

Representing Beroni, Ingrid Graells, our Sales Director, gave a series of TED-style talks to explain to attendees the benefits of BGS: the new platform for generating combined travel contracts. It enables real-time communication with the customer and the wholesaler for digital or biometric signatures.

The forum officially opened on Thursday the 18th, and the speakers began by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of travel agencies. Is there a future for travel agencies? What role should agencies play in the new normal? How much influence do agencies have at the association, government, and destination levels? These were the main issues discussed by the participants during the opening session.

Mid-morning saw the start of the TED-style talks, featuring Ingrid alongside David Hernández, Founder and CEO of PANGEA; Josep Garcia, Travel/Risk Solutions Manager at AON; Christian Pauwels, CEO of MOVELIA TECNOLOGÍAS; and Mª Dolores Serrano, Head of Legal Affairs at UNAV LEGAL/DEIUREM.

During her presentation, Ingrid explained to the attendees that the BGS: Sign Contract web platform allows agencies to create package tour contracts when the agency is the tour organizer, generating a repository containing the entire contract history along with their statuses (Signed, Expired, etc.), and enabling the storage of any other type of contract on the platform. It also allows for the digital signing of legal certificates using Signaturit.

Sign Contract is currently the only platform on the market that automatically generates package tour contracts, digitizing a process that is currently done manually. It facilitates two-way communication between the customer and the wholesaler for digital and biometric signatures, with the option to connect a tablet so the customer can sign in person at the agency… and all this with the benefits of cloud-based operations!

If you’d like more information about Sign Contract: The new platform for creating package travel contracts, please call us at 973 443 460 – Ext. 3 or send us an email at comercial@beroni.com, and we’ll explain everything in detail.

Following the TED-style talks, the event continued with a panel discussion on “Sustainability and Destinations,” followed by a debate on “Adapting to New Ways of Working in the New Normal for Airlines.” Before lunch, the conclusions of the 2nd UNAV Tourism Forum were read aloud, serving as the official closing of the event. We’ve included them here:

Travel agencies need to improve their public image: we are still largely unknown, they emphasized.
According to Jesús Nuño de la Rosa, one of the keys to the future for agencies is human connection—and not just when a sale is made. “The secret to selling in the new future of agencies is not selling,” said the former president of El Corte Inglés.
Habits have changed, and agents—they say—must adapt to those changes. “Because we are the safest channel, and customers have realized that.” Some speakers have even raised the possibility of creating a quality seal to highlight the value of agencies, “because now what’s at stake is people’s health.”
During this pandemic, these organizations have given their all. But they must continue to persevere so that more people become aware of their work and they can gain greater representation.
Looking ahead, we must be more united than ever. All the speakers agreed on this point.
Agencies should choose suppliers who have stepped up during this time of crisis and stood by them. In any case, they noted, “we are called upon to work together with suppliers, based on loyalty and respect.”
In recent years, the industrial base has been eroded. But new businesses are also being created. And that is a message of hope for the future.
We also need entrepreneurs. As Jesús Nuño de la Rosa has said, this is a forum dedicated to entrepreneurship. In the process of reinventing themselves, all stakeholders are entrepreneurs.
We must also emphasize the importance of training, which has perhaps been the most overlooked aspect. But we need to make progress in this area because, as they have said, our employees are our greatest asset.
In this regard, technology and digitalization are also key assets for the future, including one of the tools presented at the conference by Beroni, which helps improve understanding and utilization of package tours while fully complying with the legal framework.
There is a widespread belief that it will be difficult to access the bulk of the aid promised by Europe. However, it has been said that we must ensure we are included in the distribution plan for the portion that ultimately reaches the sector. To achieve this, unity is essential, because otherwise it will be very difficult. It has been emphasized that it is now more important than ever to stand together.
Sectors of the mobility industry, such as the bus industry, have made it clear that they are committed to working closely with travel agencies, and are developing new projects to strengthen this relationship—whether in terms of routes, technology, sustainability, or intermodal travel
On the legal front, many of the speakers have acknowledged the sector’s resilience in the face of all the challenges it has had to overcome during this pandemic.
The reality has become more complex for travel agents. Thirty times more complex, according to some reports. As a result, given this level of complexity and information overload, the work of travel agents has become even more valuable.
Now is the time to consider our travel companions and choose them carefully, based on their commitment to the agencies and their role in sharing responsibilities.
This situation has also served as a catalyst for changes to be made to existing regulations that are designed to protect rights.
With regard to sustainability, there is a consensus that there is room for improvement. However, agencies—in this case, UNAV agencies—are helping to foster a culture of sustainability in the tourism and travel sector through their projects.
For this reason, it has been said that the UNAV Monitor of Sustainable Destinations in Spain is a crucial step. A giant leap, it has been said, that highlights the importance of intermediation and recommendations.
Travel consolidators and agencies, on the other hand, have expressed their disagreement and dissatisfaction with the latest statements from IATA, which suggests that all airlines have acted appropriately with regard to refunds.
Some retailers are leaving IATA, and they have stated that this trend will only grow in the future, precisely because of IATA’s practices.
The COVID passport is a good initiative because it facilitates travel, but some of its accompanying measures also hinder it. It is therefore clear that the tool is effective, but it needs standardization and clarity.
There is, however, a certain degree of optimism—albeit cautious—regarding the developments taking place day by day, although this momentum varies from region to region.
People want to travel. And that is our greatest hope. That was said by way of conclusion.
In closing their remarks, the delegates agreed on the value of Córdoba and its province, citing its many attractions and points of interest (including four sites on the World Heritage List). “It’s always worth visiting regularly to discover the new attractions that are added day by day. For travel agencies, moreover, it is a safe and reliable destination, as recognized by its authorities.”

Finally, UNAV presented a gift to Beroni and the rest of the forum’s contributors as a token of appreciation. We would also like to thank UNAV for the opportunity to participate in its 2nd Tourism Forum, and we hope to see you all again very soon.

Would you like to watch the recording of the 2nd UNAV Tourism Forum? Click here!

Here are some photos: