As a tourist, I now had the power to go online and create a travel experience that I wanted. I could google to my heart’s delight and find options galore. I could even save a lot of money in bypassing the travel agent — at least I thought I could.
If only it were that easy. What tourists quickly found was an overload of information and the inability to discern what was best for them. Confusion reigned. According to the Bergen County (N.J.) Record, the tide is turning. For the past three years, the number of travelers booking through agents has grown.
Why are Travellers Working with Agents?
“They (travelers) go (to agents) for clarity and curation,” said Matthew Upchcurch, Chair and CEO of luxury travel network Virtuoso. “What stresses people today isn’t the lack of information; it’s not knowing if they are asking the right questions.”
And that’s where the agent comes in. With so many choices, the traveler benefits by having someone who knows their needs and desires. The mistake for the traveler comes in fretting about the amount spent, when the focus should be on the value received. Travel agents are successful because they do not look at booking travel as a one-time transaction. They are successful because they get to know their clients and present options. They know a bad experience will drive them away.
Perhaps somewhat surprising is the most connected demographic is the most likely to use an agent. According to travel and hospitality firm MMGY, more millennials use travel agents than any other age group. What they have found is the hassle and unknown of relying solely on the web is not worth it.
“Travel agent users tend to have more travel budget,” says Kevin Wang, Director of Research and Industry Affairs for the American Society of Travel Agents. “They’re going to travel agents to plan for more complex trips or international trips or to places where they have not been. They realize using a professional travel agent can enhance the overall travel experience.”
Let’s face it. Travel is an investment. The expected return is rarely measured in dollars and cents. Rather, it is measured in the value of the experience. Travel agents are acutely aware that the customer relies on them to protect against making a costly mistake. And the growing trend in the use of agents clearly shows customers have faith that the agents are delivering.