As I read other articles related to the topic of whether travel agents will be a thing of the past, I have to chuckle and assume that many of these comments are from people that really don’t understand the importance of a travel agent, or the incredible need to deal with a person that has tons of knowledge and expertise in the travel business.
Yes, I agree that the Internet is a great way to find vacation bargains and flight deals. But unless you are a seasoned traveler, or you fully understand the rules of traveling, destinations, and all the travel lingo that is part of the industry, having a professional agent provide you all necessary information to make your vacation or travel experience a positive one, and is, in my opinion very important.
A good travel agent will most likely know about and can recommend many additional activities or things to do at your planned destination.
Travel agents are always educating themselves by conducting destination inspections on hotels, flights, and also other areas that are related to all aspects of tourism, why? They want to ensure when you walk into their office to book that dream vacation, that you’re fully informed of what to expect.
No brochure, and no website will ever tell you like it is. All the pictures show you the best locations and hotel amenities, but they surely don’t tell you that the resort you chose may be on the worst part of the beach, or the tour you just booked through that reputable on-line travel company does not include everything it claims it does.
This is what travel agents do, they inspect, research, and always keep on top of all the changes. They also take the time to talk to many of the destination representatives, tourism reps., and also many of the resort managers to really find out everything from the good, the bad, the ugly.
Why do travel agents go to the lengths they do to educate themselves? Because they want to offer as much knowledge to their clients so they can make the best choices. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or just starting out, if you have not been to every destination on this planet, chances are you will would feel more comfortable if you talked to an agent that has traveled to the destination you would like to visit, right?
I can tell you a number of stories of people calling me and saying that after they booked their vacation online, that crucial and important information was not brought to their attention that made a huge impact on their travel arrangements and vacation.
Online travel websites are not obligated to tell you that you require a visa to enter a certain country you’re traveling to, and their not obligated to tell you that when you book that dream vacation during some destinations that have religious holidays that many of the resorts activities are completely canceled due to low staff volumes.
They don’t tell you that information, but a travel professional will. Why? Because when you book that cheap or expensive ticket to Australia, they want to make sure that you require a visa to enter. When you book your dream honeymoon or anniversary vacation, that you fully understand what you’re getting for your money, so in the end you have an overall positive experience.
But many of the articles I read are right, there will be a slow death of agents in this business, but not due to the increased business over the Internet, it will be due to the lack of ability to adapt to the change in the travel industry. Travel agencies are not going to survive just booking air, hotel and car rentals. The ones that will survive and flourish will be the travel agents that understand that the travel client is more educated now with the Internet, and they have to be more creative in developing the travel experience that provides their clients the “wow factor”.
Any agency that decides to sit by the phone and wonder why their clients are still booking travel with on-line travel companies, I agree they will soon be gone, but the agency that thinks of themselves as the travel and destination specialists will always grow and thrive, and no on-line booking travel agency with their rock bottom pricing will ever replace a true agent with the passion to educate and inform their clients.
Yes, You Should Use a Travel Agent
Travel agents come in all shapes and sizes, all sorts of knowledge and all sorts of service. I work closely with, and in partnership with, Jenn Greene of MEI-Travel. She offers concierge planning at NO COST to our readers.
Why I Use Jenn
ORGANIZATION – Planning a vacation can be hectic and a lot of work. Utilizing a travel agent like Jenn from MEI-Travel allows you to take a deep breath and forget about the hassles. Jenn will do everything, from your flight to your ground transportation and everything in-between.
SAVE MONEY – Using a travel agent will cost you nothing. Not only that, vacation planners monitor for better deals.
KNOWLEDGE – Travel agents are EXPERTS in what they do. So why wouldn’t you want an expert to plan your vacation?
NO SURPRISES – When looking to travel, there can be a lot of “sketchy” offers out there. With a travel agent, what you see is what you get. There WILL NOT be any hidden surprises.
ALWAYS AVAILABLE – When you’re about to go on vacation, the last thing you want is to call and get a pre-recorded message or an automated phone system. With a travel agent, you will always be in direct contact with a real human being.
If you would like to get in contact with Jenn, you can use the form below! I guarantee she’ll get back to you before you know it!