In today’s web-savvy culture, many travellers are brushing aside travel agents as unnecessary.
Not true. Don’t believe us? Keep reading to find out why it’s actually a very, very good idea to book your vacation with a travel agent – and it’s not just because they can save you lots of time and money.
Get more essential travel tips from tripatlas.com/new: How to Protect Yourself from Risky Travel Companies; Tips on How to Book an All-Inclusive Vacation; or Secrets to Getting Through Airport Security Quickly.
Why it’s better to book your vacation with a travel agent
Get personal travel advice: Want to go on vacation but don’t know where you want to go? A travel agent can sit down with you, get a feel for what you’re looking for, and recommend a number of destinations and activities based on what best suits your travel style, budget, what you want to do on vacation, preferences, likes, and dislikes.
First-hand knowledge and specialized expertise: Once you decide a destination, travel agents can usually give you first-hand knowledge about the destination. In fact, travel agents are continually travelling to gain more first-hand knowledge to be able to sell the product to their clients. Many destinations also offer specialist certification to travel agents, which includes intensive and thorough workshops on all that the destination may offer. A travel agent’s expertise will also help to guide to towards or away from risky airlines, unstable destinations, prepare you for what to expect, and etc.
Save time and money: In a recent survey by Forrester Research, they found that most travellers thought the worst part of the trip was booking it online. This was especially because of extra or hidden fees, service charges, having to do all the research to learn about a destination, not to mention checking a handful of online booking sites on a regular basis for price comparison. Booking a trip on your own online is almost a full-time job! With a travel agent, you can save time on having to go through all the nitty-gritty details of booking your vacation and let them handle it. Additionally, since certified travel agents are given special rates by hotels, car rental companies, airlines, you can often save more with travel agents even after you pay their service fee – usually $100 or less per person.
Vacations suited for you: Not only can travel agents recommend the best destinations for you – but they also have first-hand knowledge on the best resorts, hotels, cruises, or destinations to best suit you. This will especially help you so that you don’t get caught on a 2-week cruise where the average age of cruisers is 65+ or going for your honeymoon to a resort full of screaming children.
Reliability: You wouldn’t go to a doctor who wasn’t a certified doctor, right? The same goes with travel agents. In many states and provinces, travel agents must have training and be registered to a licensing board. So, not only can booking your trip with an experienced certified travel agent give you a better trip experience overall – but a travel agent is also someone you know that can trust to help you plan.
Emergencies: When it comes to travel emergencies like missing your flight due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances, you can call your travel agent and get them to help you secure a new flight. A travel agent can act as a mediator on your behalf to speak with airlines or hotels – and since travel agents are repeat customers, airlines and hotels are more likely to hear them out and offer a solution.
Convinced? We’ve got even better news for you. tripatlas.com/new’s Trip Builder allows travellers to get in touch with local travel agents – online. It’s as simple as filling out your Trip Request Form. Within the next couple of days, you’ll receive a custom quote from a certified travel agent for your trip. It’s that easy!