Are Travel Agents extinct?

Are travel agents becoming an extinct species? I am sure this question has crossed several people’s mind. My perspective as an agent involved in the travel industry, is definitely no! As far as I am concerned travel agents will never go into oblivion and continue to provide an essential service to the traveling public and industry.

The definition of a travel agency is to sell travel and related products and services to customers on behalf of suppliers. The function of a travel agent is not only to book a vacation but to educate and provide advise to their clients. I am sure a client wishes much more information than to book a Caribbean cruise deal or an Alaska vacation. It is the responsibility of the travel professional to provide much more so the client can make an educated decision about the vacation.

The travel industry has gone through many changes over the years and the travel agent has not been immune to those changes. New technology like the internet has affected all facets of our lives and has revolutionized the way business is done presently. Travel information that would take weeks to research and was only available to the travel agent is now at everyone finger tips in a couple of minutes. The benefit of this new phenomenon is tremendous as a large volume of information on all walks of life is available not only to travelers but to the general public. Any destination can be analyzed and dissected into different components in a matter of seconds. This is a plus to the traveler as they can research and book their travel online from the comfort of their homes.

The internet also has its negatives. With so much information available – the traveler can be over whelmed and confused. Can you imagine that you Goggle “Alaska vacations” and come up with two million responses. The traveler can be lost in the sea of information trying to decide what is genuine and what is fictitious. The danger of the internet is in the numerous number of scam website that are in existence. Many a traveler has booked a hotel on the internet based on the photos displayed, only to be very disappointed on arrival. They soon found out that the hotel was very different from what was advertised and a dream vacation became a night mare. As the saying goes, “all that glitters is not gold”. If the reservations were made through a travel agent, there would be a guarantee of the quality of the hotel. Many travel agents visit locations or receive recommendations from other agents if they are unable to visit the destination.

There are approximately 28, 000 travel agencies operating in North America. In that number are the traditional independent, chain and consortium-affiliated agencies. The independent agent is unaffiliated with any larger institution and is referred to as the mom and pop store. These agencies are usually small with few members of staff but are usually very familiar with their community. These agencies are at a serious disadvantage because of their small size. They have no bargaining power with their suppliers; therefore they are unable to obtain lower prices. Their numbers have dwindled significantly and presently represent about 35% of the travel industry.

Chain agencies are very popular and do have a regional and national presence in North America. The number of agencies that make up the chain varies in the travel industry. They vary from dozens in some cases to hundreds in different geographic locations. Some of these agencies are well known and do have a lot of power and are able to negotiate favorable rates from preferred suppliers. Theses chain agencies sell franchises which helps in the distribution of the name brand.

The consortia affiliated agency is a blend of the independent and chain agency. It provides a lot more independence than the affiliated agency but is a part of a big organization. The significant difference is these agencies operate independently of the consortium and are governed by their own rules. Being part of a large organization, they are able to benefit from the preferred supplier relationship of the consortium. They are also able to get assistance with training, marketing support, financial advice and sometimes a 24 hour backup reservation service.

From these agencies evolved the home based agent. There are many traditional agents in existence but, the home agent has become very popular in the industry. One of the biggest changes the industry has experience is the advent of the home base agent. I must complement the early pioneers as they were considered taboo and were not accepted by the travel industry. In fact the biggest resistance came from the traditional agencies who felt threatened by these new agents. The early home base agent persevered and was gradually accepted into the fold of travel agents. Now, home base agents have not only grown in numbers but are fully recognized by the industry. There are several reasons why the home base agent is so popular. They include but not limited to:

• Setting your own work hours,

• Working from the comfort of your home,

• Being available 24/7 to your clients, and

• A significant reduction in over head cost (reduce rent, utilities etc)

The recent events in Iceland strengthen the notion that travel agent services are essential. Several thousand travelers were stranded in and out of Europe because of the ash from the volcano in Iceland. Imagine the       discomfort and misery of persons who booked airline tickets online and were calling the airline to make new reservations. The travelers who booked through a travel agent did not have that worry as they quickly got in contact with their agent whose responsibility it was to make a new booking. I am sure the online bookers had difficulty reaching the airline reservation desk in addition to being place on hold for extremely long periods.

The advantage of using the expertise of a travel agent is limitless especially for purchasing a cruise. Imagine searching for Caribbean cruise deals can be a very complicated matter and is very different from purchasing an airline ticket. A cruise is an experience and not a commodity and it is difficult to get that emotion from the internet. Cruises differ from each other and the travel professional will use his experience to analyze, advice and determine the correct cruise is matched with the right client. Cruisers want to enjoy food, activities entertainment, destinations and an environment that matches their life style. The agent will ensure your vacation goes without a hitch from beginning to end going over all the minute details. There is very little chance of being turned away from the airport due to inadequate documents. Can you imagine going on a Alaska vacation  and you are not properly attired as the website you booked on did not provide that information. Also, a person who makes an internet booking might be losing out on a great deal. Some resorts have packages that can only be booked by a travel agent. This means that you may be able to get a better package deal or a better price if you use a travel agent.

In conclusion, I will reiterate that travel agents do provide an essential service that compliments the travel industry. I think that travel agents will be around for a long time to educate travelers and assist with their cruise vacation packages.

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