Travel consultants may have been put on the list of “most useless professions” in the world, but this doesn’t mean that many intrepid travelers have decided to stop visiting them. It may sound simple to plan and book your own trip online, but the truth is that there are certain advantages of using a travel agent. Many of us are familiar with the brick-and-mortar shops selling trips to Europe with dreamy discounts, but the concept of travel agents has significantly changed in the past few years.
While some still offer their services from the comfort of their shops, more and more specialists have transferred to the online medium. As a matter of fact, the travel agents of yesterday were usually nothing more than agents to the airlines, who served more as order takers than consultants. Information that was once accessible only to travel agents is now easy to find on the internet. Everything from airline tickets, hotel deals and premium packages are sold on the World Wide Web. Surprisingly enough, statistics show that one in four airline tickets are still sold through brick-and-mortar travel shops. How is this possible? People still need international travel consultants.
Travel Agents Now Focus on Service-Oriented Experiences
The only reason why this seemingly useless career has survived is because the modern travel agent has learned to adapt to the new age. There is a special “breed” of travel agent that can put together an itinerary (for wealthier consumers) like no other. They have become experts of the destinations that they offer packages for. In other words, they know everything there is to know about the field in which they excel. Instead of selling deals all over the world, they focus on particular continents or destinations of interests.
How much do you know about the place that you want to visit? Chances are that you don’t know the best restaurant to enjoy local cuisine, or what places you should visit. International travel groups that specialize on specific areas can create a complex itinerary that will not only save you time and money, but will ultimately make your trip more enjoyable.
Do You Need a Travel Agent?
It greatly depends on your desires. Apparently one out of five travelers with 100.000$ or more household income still find them useful. Of course, this largely depends on your destination and budget. Professional travel agents differentiate themselves from regular ones: they are no longer responsible of setting up flights, but they can tell you what to do and how once you are there. They focus on service-oriented experience, they offer services 24/7, and are prepared to meet up with clients as soon as they step off the plane.
If the idea of getting stressed out from planning a trip sounds unbearable to you, why not let a travel agent take care of it. Alternatively, if you are taking simple trips to well-known destinations, like Rome, it might be wiser to search for flights, cars, travel packages and accommodations yourself. Internet savvy individuals who are prepared to scour the internet far and wide to find the cheapest packages do not need a travel agent, but those who are comfortable, or visiting places of the beaten track might require help from a seasoned travel agent.
When to Use a Travel Agent
- When You Want to Save Money: Contrary to popular belief, a travel consultant will not waste your money, but actually help you save it. Saving money is less about price and more about value, and most tourists look for value. There is nothing glamorous about saving money and being miserable. If you do not pick the right hotel, the right location or the right restaurant, chances are that you will not enjoy tour trip very much. This is where the travel consultant becomes useful. He can provide you with a discernible difference by qualifying and providing you with relevant suggestions based on your needs. He will also optimize your itinerary and take into consideration all travel, accommodations, visiting and partying costs. So if you want to travel for less, with a complete traveling checklist, hiring a consultant is a good idea.
- When You Want to Save Time: Many people give up on the idea of traveling because they simply do not have enough time to plan their trip. This is probably one of the most common reasons why people all around the world require the services of a travel consultant in the first place. The truth is that it does take a lot of effort and time to plan a vacation, especially when you are thinking of multiple destinations. Wouldn’t it be so much easier to spend this time relaxing, and have someone draw out the perfect itinerary, make reservations and book flights for you?
- When You Want Answers about Your Safety: Leisure travelers have always been concerned about the security aspect of their trips. It would be irresponsible to visit a country that you have no information about, especially since there have been so many cases of terrorist attacks. Obviously, one cannot pretend to know anything about a destination, especially international, if one does not have access to up-to-date information (which can be related to politics, health, terrorism, international airline or weather). Knowledgeable consults can provide with much needed information on a timely basis, and put your mind at ease.
- When You Have Too Much Information to Sort Through: As we already mentioned the Internet is formidable tool that you can use to plan a trip, but sometimes the information is just too much to sort through. After a few nights of researching through different bookings, hotels and cruises, you might feel overwhelmed by the amount of information, and simply “scream” for help. The experience, resources and education of a travel agent can prove invaluable, and essential to relieving your head pains after intensive research.
- When You Want to be Taken Care Of: The whole point in taking a vacation is relaxing. There are many tasks in this world that we could do ourselves, but choose not to, in order to save energy and time. Not to mention that a professional will probably do a much better job. If you enjoy having someone take care of your needs, you should definitely hire a travel consultant who has your best interest at heart.
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