How could traditional travel agencies improve their competitiveness and survive? A qualitative study in Spain

•Different survival strategies for the traditional travel agencies in Spain were identified and several recommendations were grouped into actions focused on marketing and actions focused on the organizational and management structure.

The present study aims to provide greater insight into the trends affecting traditional travel agencies and propose strategies to improve their competitiveness. This research develops a qualitative study with three complementary steps: (1) focus groups were held with the main travel agency segments (corporate and holidays), to analyze their motivations and perceptions; (2) interviews were conducted with managers and experts to analyze customers' perceptions and emphasize some of the main trends affecting this industry; and finally, (3) interviewees were asked to propose strategies to overcome the future trends previously identified. With this objective in mind, this research integrates both perspectives: demand and supply, to propose actions and strategies for future scenarios, which is especially valuable due to the difficult situation of travel agencies in Spain. Finally, after identifying the 14 main trends in the industry and 23 recommended strategies, the study also proposes some useful future research topics for the industry.