Why Travel Agents are Key to the Industry

A recent article in USA Today  asks if travel agents can help when something goes wrong on a vacation. The short answer: obviously! The long answer: keep reading for proof on why travel agents keep the travel industry moving forward, full steam ahead.

They’re like the ultimate personal shoppers…

Travelers don’t have to wade through pages and pages of options since travel agents know the best hotels and resorts in a destination, the best destination for a wedding, the best room category for a family, and on and on. A good agent qualifies their clients’ vacation needs, then goes to work to do the research for their clients. This reduces the vacation planning period and gets those travelers where they want to be faster.

…who protect what can potentially be a big investment.

Offering travel insurance to protect a client’s vacation, no matter how big or small, is obviously a key thing for an agent to do for their clients. And what may seem like not a lot of money to one client, like a 4-night flight and hotel package at $800/person, could be the vacation of lifetime to another. A solid agent respects every client’s trip and does everything they can to protect that investment. But they don’t just do it with a travel insurance policy – there’s so much more to it.

According to the article, travel agents are key when travelers run in to any kind of disruption, like flight delays or cancellations. A good agent monitors their clients’ flights to anticipate any interruptions so they’re ready to anticipate any client needs. Agents can also step in when a client encounters a mysteriously missing hotel reservation, as agents often have relationships with overall hotel brands or even individual hotels, giving them a direct line to help clients in this situation.