Travel agents have had to persevere through-and put up with-a whole lot over the past 15-20 years.
Despite providing personalized service, despite serving the entire planet, despite going through countless classes and schooling to gain accreditation and be experts in their field, they have at times been overshadowed-heck, even disrespected-as travelers and travel partners have come and gone.
Not only have agents been economically affected by national disasters and recessions like most of the world, but they've also faced the threat of becoming extinct as online travel agencies (OTAs) and other developments in the travel industry have challenged their very livelihood.
During the economic despair that has appeared in periods over the last 15 years, many people have had to worry about losing their jobs. Travel agents, on the other hand, have had to worry about losing their industry. There were about 34,000 brick and mortar locations in the mid-1990s. By 2012, that number had dwindled down to 14,000 to 15,000, according to PhoCusWright, via the New York Times.
But, despite all of the ups and downs throughout the years, travel agents are still here. And perhaps even more remarkable than agents surviving when doubters have been declaring their imminent demise is the fact that some of the same travelers who cast them aside in the past are coming back to them. According to a survey by the American Society of Travel Agents (which represents close to 6,000 travel agents), 47 percent of agents reported higher revenue in the first half of 2014 compared to the first half of 2013. On top of that, 45 percent reported more transactions and 43 percent said they increased their client base, year-over-year. About 74 percent of travel agents reported the same amount of revenue (27 percent), less than a 10 percent increase (28 percent) or more than a 10 percent increase (19 percent).
Travelers may understand the value of agents more than ever now because they've tried other methods of booking travel-including booking themselves-and discovered it's not as easy as it looks to get a great price and a great experience.
Bruce Graycar, partner of New Jersey-based Graycar Travel, and Tim Webb, owner of Abingdon, Virginia's The Travel Shop Inc., have each worked in the travel industry for decades. They have each experienced the ups and downs of being a travel agent through the myriad of challenges thrown their way. And they both echo similar sentiments about the state of the travel agent today-mainly, that they have ultimately demonstrated their worth to travelers.
Graycar, who has been in the travel business for over 40 years, said that when OTAs like Expedia first popped up in the mid-1990s, they could offer better prices to travelers than agents because, for example, airlines would have excess seats they would dump off to them at discounted rates in order to fill planes.
But travelers don't get personalized service with OTAs, Graycar said. Travelers are also realizing that successfully planning their own trips on the Internet-in terms of price and experience-is more difficult than it appears.
[BLURB]"People thought they were going to be able to become their own travel agent by going online, but they realized it's not as green on the other side of the fence as they thought it was going to be." - Bruce Graycar[/BLURB]
"People thought they were going to be able to become their own travel agent by going online, but they realized it's not as green on the other side of the fence as they thought it was going to be," Graycar said.
"A lot of the stuff that glitters on the Internet is not gold," he added. "You really need an impartial person to guide you through (the booking process)…There's nothing better than firsthand knowledge."
Webb has been a travel agent ever since The Travel Shop was founded in 1983. He also worked in the airline industry for four years before that. He agreed that travelers may have a better appreciation for agents now.
"Most people that are (booking online) are not professionals so eventually they make a mistake and they have figured out they have nowhere to turn (when they do)," Webb said. "They don't have the personalized service that they get from a travel agency. So, I've seen a lot of that business come back."
Travelers have also discovered that just because you have more options to book travel doesn't mean you have more attractive options.
"They're inundated with so many options that they don't know what to do and which way to go," Graycar said. "When you're talking about going to resorts internationally or destinations that you're not comfortable with, that's when you really need the guidance of somebody who is experienced. It's just foolish for anyone who isn't familiar with these places to not reach out to a travel agent for help."
[BLURB]"I think they've realized the value of using a travel agent," Webb added. "I think people like personalized service. I think they like the fact that if there is a problem they can call somebody by name and talk to them about it." - Tim Webb[/BLURB]
"I think they've realized the value of using a travel agent," Webb added. "I think people like personalized service. I think they like the fact that if there is a problem they can call somebody by name and talk to them about it. If you travel enough, you know eventually you're going to have problems. If you have traveled your whole life without problems, then you've been a very, very lucky person."
And it's not just about having someone you can call on when travel inevitably throws you for a loop. People simply don't have a lot of time in their day; they would rather not waste it scouring the Internet for deals. One traveler spent about an hour to find airfare to Italy for $2,500, Webb said. He eventually went to The Travel Shop and Webb was able to quickly knock down the price to $1,900.
"He said, 'I don't even know why I wasted my time on the Internet. I should have called you in the first place,'" Webb said. "So, I think a lot of people have found they have better things to do than to search the Internet for travel all the time."
"There's a doctor here in town," added Webb, speaking from Abingdon. "He and I have had this agreement since I moved here that I will not do eye surgery and he will not book travel. My point to people is do what you're good at and let other people do what they're professionals at."
Graycar has certainly made a living out of being there for travelers. He's learned some things along the way, too. For example, he strongly advises young travel agents entering the business to write down everything when dealing with travel partners. Recheck and reconfirm what a travel company promises your client and have it in writing in case your client doesn't receive everything promised.
One time, Graycar was planning a trip to the Panama Canal for a group of 50 people, who stressed they wanted to be able to travel through the canal's famous locks. A travel company Graycar was working with initially gave him false information, indicating his clients would be able to travel through the lock system. But when the time of departure approached, someone else in the company noted that wasn't possible with their tour.
Fortunately, Graycar had the promise in writing. In effect, the company ended up putting together a private tour for the group that went through the locks. Each of the group's 50 members also received $100 for the inconvenience. Safe to say Graycar saved that trip from a potential letdown.
But while travel agents like Graycar and Webb have been able to persevere through the tough times throughout the years-from the emergence of OTAs to the economic breakdowns after 9/11 and from 2008-2010-there are naturally some obstacles they may simply have to accept rather than confront.
According to Webb, the most damaging long-term challenge agents have had to face is airlines' decision to stop offering commissions. There was a time when agents and airlines partnered together, but Webb is fairly convinced those days are long gone.
"I would love to see that part of the business come back together where it's more of a partnership between the travel agencies and the airlines, but I'm not sure that's ever going to happen," he said.
It's not just that airlines have stopped offering commissions; many of them are actually directing business away from agents to their websites, Webb said. Webb said he can't understand the move, considering he'd be doing their work for them for free anyway with the commissions being lifted.
The question is, have agents made a full-scale comeback since the dawn of the OTA?
Well, in short, some would call it a comeback, some wouldn't go that far and some would, well, say, "Don't call it a comeback."
Webb wouldn't declare a complete comeback-calling it more of a "slow, steady climb"-but the proverbial scale has appeared to tip back to normalcy for agents.
"Honestly, I don't know that I'd jump into the business if I wasn't already in it, but, if you're established, I do think we're seeing somewhat of a comeback," Webb said. "I don't think it's all roses and it's going to be fantastic overnight, but I do see a slow, steady increase."
"I don't know if (travel agents) will ever be where they were, but it certainly has picked back up," Webb added.
While Graycar did say "there is a shortage of travel agents today," he was more optimistic about the prospects of success for young agents in the current economic climate.
"Has the role of travel agents been diminished? It has been diminished to some extent and a lot of (agents) have gone home-based, but people still need advice, people still need guidance," Graycar said.
"For somebody who enjoys travel and likes to work with people, it's a great job," he added.
But, perhaps most importantly, it appears agents-both young and seasoned-can at least take comfort in the fact that the market isn't against them like it used to be. If you are great at your job, you have a good chance of succeeding. In the end, it's all about the level of service you deliver to your client.
"It's service-that is what a travel agency is. I can have all the bells and whistles, but if I can't plan a good trip for you, then I'm not doing my job," said Graycar. "We all have the same tools now, whether we be Carlson Wagonlit or American Express or Expedia, but it's how you deliver that that makes one better than the other."
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