Why You Need a Travel Agent – NOW
August 2, 2024 Marsha Mowers
Years ago when I first started travelling, I was in my early 20s and thought booking last minute deals and hotels I’d never been to before was the best way to travel. Why waste money when I can do it myself, right?
No.
Admittedly, working in the industry now I have not used a travel agent for my personal travel as I usually book directly with the suppliers whom I have become friends with. But people not working in travel don’t have that personal connection and as we emerge from a post-COVID world, using an agent will be the key to a happy and carefree vacation.
We pay someone to cut our hair, clean our houses, do our gardens/outdoor maintenance. We know our butchers. We have friends who are nurses who we call for advice when we’re feeling sick. We go to our expert friends for help when we aren’t sure how to do it ourselves and don’t want to mess it up.
Why don’t we do that with travel?
Every travel agent is an expert. Some even specialize in certain areas – whether it be weddings, adventure, cruise etc – they know far more than we ever could just googling and reading reviews. Chances are they’ve even been to the place you are thinking of booking first-hand and can tell you everything right down to the best secret spot to grab your favourite dish.
Travel agents currently get paid on commission by the travel companies you book with. They want you to have the best holiday ever, they want to make sure they’ve sent you to the right place that matches exactly what you’re looking for. They want you to book again with them. Talk about the client always being right! They will spend time with you learning what you’re looking for and making sure your every whim is taken care of. Need a crib in your room? They’ve got that. Want to make sure the wing you’re staying in isn’t party central at night? They’ve got that too. Some agents even specialize in allergy-travel: they know exactly where to safely send you.
Life is filled with so many emails, passwords to remember, websites to visit. Trying to scroll through emails to find your airline itinerary, then your hotel booking, transfer information can be really time consuming and annoying. Agents not only take care of booking all of that for you but will send you all the info you need in one simple package. No more scrambling before leaving for the airport realizing you haven’t printed the most recent document or had it sent to the account that’s not on your phone. (or is that just me?)
They’ve also got you covered should something go wrong in destination. If you need to speak to someone about your trip while you’re there, you talk to them.
This point is perhaps the biggest one logistically. Entry requirements for countries vary and are changing often. It’s going to be hard for the average traveller to keep up – but your travel agent is on top of it. They know if there are visa requirements, passport restrictions – all of it.
When COVID first hit – travel agents worked tirelessly to bring their clients back home safely. They were the ones on hold with the airlines to arrange flights home while their clients enjoyed a last day or two on the beach. They were penalized financially as most agents only get paid when the clients travel – meaning all the work they did on cancelled trips went unpaid, and then those commissions that were paid were recalled.
They did it because they love travel and they love helping their clients. As such, some now charge a service fee. Pay it. It’s time we all showed them a bit of respect for their expertise.
About the Author
Marsha Mowers made the move to editorial side of travel after many years working in destination marketing where she represented places such as NYC and Las Vegas. Her experience on “both sides” of the industry has put her in a unique position to provide valuable context to both readers and trade partners. Marsha also serves as Director of Content for TravelPulse Canada
