IT is not easy to get genuine personal customer service these days, so why not take advantage of your local trusted travel agent, who has your safety, satisfaction and security on his/her mind?
Of course, there are plenty of things you can do for yourself online – like book and pay for a flight or hotel.
But if you have something a little more complex in mind, maybe involving more than one destination or airline – or you want to make changes, like alter your day of departure or arrival – then you are wise to use a travel agent.
Research published in the Tourism Economics Journal goes into the factors that lead consumers to continue using travel agents despite the proliferation of online booking tools.
For more complicated travel plans, travellers value the experience and expertise of agents, especially for booking travel packages, cruises, or off-the-beaten-path destinations.
Factors like expertise, convenience, and personalised service are critical in shaping a consumer’s decision to use a travel agent.
Vaness Taveras-Dalmau, originally from the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, is now a sustainability industry professional with a PhD from the Griffith Institute for Tourism.
Her research on “regenerative tourism” shows us how we can give back more than we take from the communities and places we visit on our travels.
She is convinced that it’s only by going to a travel agent to book trips to new and exotic places that travellers can be sure of engaging with local cultures and not exploiting them.
You can enjoy genuine local cuisines and not just support the mass tourism supply chain.
Former University of Queensland Associate Professor, Dr Ian Patterson, who wrote about the role of the travel agent in his 2018 book “Tourism and leisure behaviour in an ageing world”, is convinced that travel agents are still providing an important service, especially when booking for overseas travel.
“Many older adults still prefer word-of-mouth communications with their travel agent, many of which have built up a loyal clientele of people over the years,” he said.
“They are still reliant on them for travel information, advice, and personalised booking services.”
It’s worth listening to the words of a young traveller about her first experience visiting a travel agent on her own.
“I left feeling so much relief having them take care of all the nitty gritty stuff I was unsure about,” she said.
“They also helped us figure out the most cost-effective way of getting to and from our target destinations and made sure we were on the best path.
“Without their help our trip would have been way different and a lot more expensive.”
