Travel Agents Today

" You're a Travel Agent? I didn't know those still existed!"

We get this question all the time!  Many people probably envision the movie-type travel agent: the lady sitting behind a desk typing away with a big poster that says "China" right behind her. The travel agent still exists, but the model has been completely revolutionized. Forbes explains it best by saying that the
"traditional travel agent, whose main purpose was to take orders and book transactions, has now been replaced by Travel Advisors". 

Believe it or not, upscale Travel Advisers are actually doing better today, after the online revolution (think birth of Expedia) than ever before!  In a recent interview, Matthew Upchurch, Chairman & CEO of Virtuoso said it best:

"During the online revolution, travel agents who were basically human vending machines 

were replaced, but airline executives were scratching their heads wondering how the hell 

could so many others survive when, for a while there, their commissions were cut to zero. 

That is because the airline industry saw the travel agency distribution system as an extension 

of them. But it’s not an extension of them. It’s an extension of the consumer."

With the internet, the plain old "booking and reserving" is vastly easier today than ever before. However, what Travelocity and Kayak cannot do, is make calls to their friend who just happens to be the General Manager of a particular hotel, and request a particular room on a particular floor for you. They can't decipher amongst all of the millions of contradicting reviews terms. Travel Advisors collaborate with their clients, helping to plan better trips, make better decisions, and cash in on the advisor’s hard-earned connections and continuous education. They have become invaluable in a world where online booking means you can do it yourself, but you don’t actually know what you’re getting. Travel Advisors do know, and they can help make sure you actually get what you want.

Read full interview here