Dear Tammy: I've been a travel agent for years now and love it! I know that many travelers started to book their own vacations online once the option became available because it seemed so convenient. But lately, it looks like more travelers are starting to use travel agents again to book their vacations. Do you agree?
Tammy: Yes! I completely agree. Especially when it comes to families traveling together. I've noticed more people are looking for the help of travel agents nowadays, and primarily for two reasons.
One, they simply don't have the time to do everything required to plan a successful trip, and two, travel agents are able to offer industry-related perks found nowhere else, as you know.
As travel agents, we're able to offer the personal assistance many travelers need. While online booking sites are available, people are finding that there's more to it then clicking a few buttons. And there's always the fine print that people need to understand before traveling, especially nowadays.
While there are some who say our profession is starting to go away, this just isn't true. In fact, as more and more people find they're being misled when booking a trip online, they're rethinking how 'simple' it is to book their own itineraries.
And as you also probably already know, you're now being seen more as a trip planner and advisor vs. someone who just sells plane tickets.
For example, say there's a family of four who wants to plan a two-week vacation at a top beach resort. Instead of their having to do hours of research to find the vacation of their dreams, they just need to let you know what their wants and needs are so that you can present them with three or four of their best vacation matches.
Also, when someone books a trip with you and has any questions about their trip, all they have to do is call you to get the answer. They can even call you if they're experiencing any issues while on their vacation to help them with any travel-related problems, which can be extremely beneficial.
Groups who are currently using travel agent services the most? Millennials, families and luxury travelers.
So, as a travel agent, you know that you can save travelers time and money, offer them advice, help them plan their trip and can even assist with travel crisis prevention. What more can one ask for?
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