May 3 has been designated National Travel Agent Day by ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) to celebrate our role in matching travellers with vacations and making their travel dreams come true! But many people still wonder why travel agents exist in this world of online booking and the numerous channels where travellers can book everything themselves. And that is the reason why travel agents exist! There is so much information out there that we can help discern the good from the bad and provide reliable sources for that amazing deal you found online. And if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!
One of my favourite quotes is from Nolan Burris, Future Proof Travel Solutions, whom I had the pleasure of hearing him speak at a travel trade conference a couple of years ago,
“Using a travel consultant is like a great bottle of wine. You may never know all the love and attention that went into creating the trip – but you will definitely taste it.”
It is with loving care and attention to detail for each and every one of our travel guests that your travel agent puts into your vacation. We plan and prepare each client vacation with as much attention and detail as though it were our own. In fact, many of us will pore over minute details to ensure nothing is overlooked.
Not sure what we can do? Here are only a few reasons how we can help!
1. Save you time and money. We get to know you, your travel preferences and match you with the right vacation for your travel dates and your budget. We do the research and present you with options that we feel will be the best fit and offering the best value for your needs.
2. Make sense of the details. The cheapest deal you find online may not offer the best value. We can help sift through the small print and advise if the deal you found is in fact worth booking. And if in fact it is a fantastic travel opportunity, then booking with a travel agent can provide peace of mind as you have someone to turn to for any issues or concerns during your trip.
3. We are your advocate. We are someone you can utilize to ask a gazillion questions, make specific requests and handle all your concerns. We do it with ease and with pleasure. While we can never guarantee any requests (as no supplier can ever guarantee requests), we try our absolute best to make thing happen within our means as much as we can.
4. Coordinate all the details. Imagine just telling us exactly what you want – where you want to go, when, what your budget is, who is travelling and by some crazy magic, we have opportunities for you to review! When you want to travel as a group (small or large), have a destination wedding or celebration with a monumental vacation, we can coordinate all the travel details so no one person is stuck managing all the logistical details. Let us handle the paperwork, and you can start planning on what to pack!
5. We know things and we know people. Travel agent training is continuous and we are constantly updated with new details for upcoming promotions, destination information, new resort openings and closures, where to go and what to do! Plus, we form relationships with other travel agent experts in destinations and travel trade suppliers and work with those who put our clients needs first. We are never alone and work with a team of travel trade experts and suppliers to help find you the best options for the best value to ensure you have the best vacation available to you.
This is only a small fraction of how we can help you. Feel free to reach out to me or your favourite travel agent to see how we can help you plan your next vacation. It’s definitely more fun to plan with someone you know and trust. The magic is in the details and it is our job to make your travel dreams come true!
