Have you been dreaming of travel? Does the idea of finally getting back on an airplane fill you with joy? Have you been fantasizing about relaxing on a tropical beach or sipping a coffee at a beautiful sidewalk café? Here are some reasons why you should work with a Professional Travel Agent to fulfill those dreams.
1. When the world came to a halt, we were there for our clients.
We had a lot to do when Covid-19 first started making headlines. Travel Agents worked long hours, and often for free to make sure our clients got home when borders started to close. We rebooked our clients to get them home. We helped our clients cancel upcoming bookings and we went to bat for our clients when suppliers or insurance companies had constantly changing rules and procedures. Our clients were our priority even when our own businesses suddenly had no income and all of our future income was suddenly gone.
2. Knowing current travel restrictions is literally our job.
TICO-certified Travel Agencies have an obligation to disclose any travel or health warnings. (TICO is the Travel Industry Council of Ontario and it regulates all Travel Agencies in Ontario) From the TICO website "The agent must bring to the customer’s attention any conditions related to the purchase of travel services that the travel agent has reason to believe may affect the customer’s decision to purchase. This would include such conditions as construction at the resort, health or travel warnings. This requirement must be met whether the travel agent is dealing with the consumer in person, on the phone, or over the internet."
You can be comfortable traveling, knowing that you know all the current rules for things like covid-19 testing, quarantining and documentation are all researched for you.
You can be comfortable traveling, knowing that you know all the current rules for things like covid-19 testing, quarantining and documentation are all researched for you.
3. We Can Assist You in Make Decisions.
Should you get a balcony cabin or a suite? Which resort has the best Margaritas? How many days should I spend in Paris? We are pros at offering advice that make your choices easier.
4. We keep up with what’s new with Destinations, Hotels, Resorts, and Cruise Ships.
Travel Agents participate in a lot of webinars, trade shows and read the latest in industry news. We also travel a lot and visit destinations with tourism boards and with supplier site inspections and ship inspections so that we know first hand what to expect, so we can pass that information on to you, our clients.
5. We Know A Lot of People.
Not only do I have a team of Travel Agents I network with regularly, but I also have an extended network of Travel Sales Managers, Tourism Authority Representatives and a whole Travel consortium that I work with. This means that I can crowdsource information on destinations, hotels, and cruises, but also that I have access to perks, pricing, and availability that I can offer you. Travel agents work hard to build a support network that lets us offer more value to our clients.
6. Our service is tailored to each individual.
Do you prefer to have printed tickets mailed to you, or do you want all of your tickets emailed instead? Do you prefer to chat by phone, video chat, email, text, or WhatsApp? Do you like to do your own research but have an agent manage the booking, or do you prefer to have someone do all the research for you? Your travel agent can work with you to make sure the service you're getting is the one that works best for you.
7. We can help you save time and we may be able to save you money.
In 2016, ASTA's report Best of Both Worlds: Quantifying How Travel Agents Save Consumers Time and Money, stated, "Consumers report that travel agents save them an average $452 per trip plus four hours in travel planning, and help them avoid costly mistakes." ¹ Expedia travels 2017 research indicates the average American spends 22.95 hours booking a trip six weeks before departure² - That's a lot of time, and a lot of ways things can go wrong. Every agent has a story or two about a client who booked themselves to the wrong airport, the wrong date or had their own name wrong on their ticket. Working with a professional helps you avoid making mistakes like these, that can cost a lot to fix.
Expedia travels 2017 research indicates the average American spends 22.95 hours booking a trip six weeks before departure² - That's a lot of time, and a lot of ways things can go wrong.
Not only do we help you avoid mistakes, but we can often get special group rates, or agency discounts on airfare, hotels and cruises that you may not find online.
8. We Are a Way for You to Help Small Businesses.
Travel agents are increasingly working independently and running their own small agencies under the umbrella of a larger host agency. These agents are small local businesses that support their communities. When you book through a travel agent you help support your community too.
Do you like being on hold? Do you know how long the hold times are for major cruise lines, airlines, and suppliers? Every agent can tell you of 2, 5 or even 8 hour hold times to reach suppliers on their client's behalf. We do it so you don't have to.
9. We can contact suppliers on your behalf if you have an issue.
This one is huge. Do you like being on hold? Do you know how long the hold times are for major cruise lines, airlines, and suppliers? Every agent can tell you of 2, 5, or even 8 hour hold times to reach suppliers on their client's behalf. We do it so you don't have to.
We also can get situations escalated when necessary, and sometimes we get special waivers and favours because of the volume of sales we have or because of long-standing relationships with our suppliers. I've seen some suppliers perform absolute miracles on behalf of my clients, which wouldn't have happened if they hadn't been booked through a travel agent.
There are so many reasons to book your next trip through a Travel Agent. Booking travel and following travel regulations has become much more complex than it was in the past. Make your life easier and get an agent to help you out on your next trip.
Nicole McDougall is a Certified Travel Counsellor and the Owner of Niagara Travel Agent. www.niagaratravelagent.com
1 Source: "New Study Finds Travel Agents Save Consumers an Average of $452 Per Trip." Travel Market Report, June 2016
2 Source: "The American Traveler's Path to Purchase." Expedia 2017
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