Interview with the Pros– Richard Vainopoulos, President of TourCom
President of TourCom for many years, Richard Vainopoulos has a unique vision of the role of travel agency networks, based on services, financial security and human support.
In this interview, he speaks frankly about the network's structuring choices, the role of independent agencies, the evolution of business travel, technological challenges, but also about the limits of the discourse surrounding sustainability and the role of B2B media.
Summary
A network based on services rather than on the brand
InfosTourisme.com: You have presided over TourCom for many years. Looking back, what do you think were the key structural choices that allowed the network to establish itself permanently in the travel distribution landscape, first in France and then in Europe?
Richard Vainopoulos:
Having a network based on services rather than our brand: certification allows the agency to enhance its value and prevents others from being overshadowed by a different name (sports agencies, banks, coach operators, etc.). Then, there are various products such as customized services and payment guarantees.
Train, support and develop the skills of agencies
InfosTourisme.com: You have long championed the idea that the strength of a network is no longer measured by its rhetoric but by what it is able to concretely deliver to its agencies. How has this vision been reflected in TourCom's strategy in recent years?
Richard Vainopoulos:
We've provided a lot of free training for our agencies: management, reading a balance sheet, calculating margins, product knowledge, selling high-end goods, and more. The customized training has allowed agencies to take their sales strategies and customer service to the next level: very few brochures are given, they immediately offer products that match the client's needs, and they provide personalized support from the salesperson before, during, and after the trip. On the business side, we've also provided a lot of training... via video conferencing and other available technologies.
Independent agencies: an irreplaceable human value
InfosTourisme.com: In a context of concentration, economic pressure and rapid evolution of uses, what is today the place of independent agencies and human-sized networks in the tourism value chain?
Richard Vainopoulos:
What travel agencies do isn't widely known. Between major retailers, websites, and others who threatened to disrupt everything, agencies are still around. The only system that could have killed agencies was Minitel! 😊 At 2.25 francs per minute, with an average call duration of one hour and no option to switch to another platform, given the financial gains (see the CEO of Free who made a fortune with it), the discounts were substantial, impossible for a traditional agency to compete with. The advantage of an agency is that it supports its clients before, during, and after their trip. They dedicate a lot of time to reviewing clients' photos upon their return from vacation… Above all, when a serious event occurs (tsunami, volcanic ash cloud, or COVID), they are there to assist their clients and repatriate them. Websites are closing down, as are many low-cost airlines. They know their clients and can offer them appropriate services. Technology is widely used (the profession has always been a leader in its use) but the human element allows for a strong connection.
Business travel: technology, availability and flexibility
InfosTourisme.com: Business travel represents a major part of TourCom's activity. How do you analyze the evolution of this segment, particularly in terms of services, technology, and added value for agencies?
Richard Vainopoulos:
Networks need to offer highly sophisticated technological tools: bookings for transportation companies, hotels, cars, etc., and create shared tools. We also offer a single-use digital credit card that allows users to earn rewards when purchasing airline tickets or hotels. Expense tracking, a centralized sales system…
Companies of all sizes use travel agencies to avoid dependence on a single carrier and to be able to book with others. Agencies are always more flexible and available 24/7, a crucial element for monitoring and reporting for the company.
Tourfinance: Securing cash flow and protecting all stakeholders
InfosTourisme.com: The issue of payments, financial security, and cash flow management has become central for professionals. In your opinion, how does the model developed around Tourfinance constitute a real differentiating factor?
Richard Vainopoulos:
The Tourfinance payment processing center has been in operation since 1997. Mandated by the European Directive, it is currently the only authorized payment institution agent with the ACPR (French Prudential Control and Resolution Authority, Bank of France) and insured by ORIAS. In the event of a bankrupt agency, the client is guaranteed to take their trip and the tour operator is guaranteed payment, and vice versa.
This should not be confused with the mandatory financial guarantee required to practice the profession: this guarantee covers all deposits made by its members but does not necessarily guarantee departures, as clients may be reimbursed within 5 years. Amounts owed to suppliers are centralized in a secure account and paid to the supplier in a single lump sum: significant savings in bank transactions.
The tools that truly make a difference on the field
InfosTourisme.com: You have invested heavily in technological transformation (NDC, platforms, payment solutions, data). What tools or innovations are truly making a difference for your agencies today?
Richard Vainopoulos:
The NDC tool, increasingly imposed by companies, exclusive to the Adyen Visa digital payment card with the possibility of deferred payment and remuneration for the agency, SBT/OBT, data….
2026: a "flat" year, but rich in opportunities for bespoke solutions
InfosTourisme.com: Looking ahead to 2026, what do you see as the main challenges, but also the opportunities, for travel agency networks in Europe?
Richard Vainopoulos:
2026 will certainly be a "flat" year due to multiple crises (economic and political, or also ecological) but the tailor-made travel that TourCom developed in 2005, after Voyageurs de Monde, will allow the development of a high-end, profitable and...elitist product, not for the price but for the personalization of the product.
Belgian, Luxembourg and Romanian agencies, and soon German ones, benefit from the advantages of this type of product thanks to a network representation in 90 countries.
Sustainability: a discourse still largely disconnected from actual practices
InfosTourisme.com: The discourse on sustainability and responsibility is omnipresent in the sector. How do you address these topics within TourCom, in a pragmatic and operational way?
Richard Vainopoulos:
We talk a lot about sustainability, but it's not really sustainable... not at all: planes, trains, and cars aren't exactly conducive to reducing our carbon footprint, and travelers, disagreeing with this desire for environmentalism, completely forget about it when they're on vacation, especially since the COVID crisis. Travel is meant to be a change of scenery, to recharge, and to enjoy oneself.
Many young people, whether environmentally conscious or not, take round trips between Paris and New York or Paris and the Emirates in four days. In general, sustainable travel is very difficult to sell because few people are willing to travel in a certain degree of discomfort. And it's not very financially profitable. With many providers, including hotels, there's often only a sign mentioning ecology and protecting the planet, but in reality..
B2B media: informing, training and providing visibility
InfosTourisme.com: What role do you attribute to specialized B2B media like InfosTourisme in an ecosystem seeking readability, perspective and in-depth analysis?
Richard Vainopoulos:
Perhaps not visible enough… 😊 It's important to have articles informing people about tourist sites where excursions or walks can be done while respecting nature. It's also important that professionals have access to information about destinations or products: many arrived after Covid and don't necessarily have the knowledge of the product they're selling.
As I said before, it's not the agencies' job to educate the client—they're rarely listened to—but it's up to the tourists to become aware of the harm they can cause. For example, if a tourist goes to a village that respects nature, it won't stop them from using water without restraint
A positive future for agencies, provided they adapt
InfosTourisme.com: In conclusion, what message would you like to send to managers and travel agents who are currently questioning their future and the value of a network?
Richard Vainopoulos:
Hotel groups, transport companies, and other stakeholders are investing heavily to accommodate or move travelers. This demonstrates a very positive outlook regarding the number of tourists worldwide.
In the 80s, there was little choice in hotels or number of flights, hence a certain difficulty in finding seats and high prices: this is no longer the case today.
For 44% of French people who can afford to take holidays outside their region, it has become an essential part of their lifestyle. Travel agencies have a bright future ahead, provided they adapt to the needs of their clients, or rather, the new generations, as needs and desires evolve with each generation.
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