Help Choosing a Travel Agent

By Craig Nevilt


Why should you use a travel agent to book your trip instead of booking it yourself on the internet? Web visitors are returning to independent and personal travel agents for many reasons.

Saving time is cited as the top reason why people return to agents. Sure you can spend hours, days, even months researching but why would you want to do that? You can literally make one call and cover all your bases when you use a travel agent. Agents have all the relevant information stored and available at their fingertips in order to assist you in organizing your trip. You can focus your attention on other important matters if you leave the research and planning to a travel agent.

It's their job, so professional travel agents are trained to do this. A travel professional can do all the research, coordinate all the logistics, and put together a complete itinerary for your trip in a fraction of the time you can do it for yourself. Because you are planning with a seasoned agent, they can often times get you better deals on flights, hotels, vehicle rentals and activity packages that you couldn't get on your own. When you plan with a travel agent, you can also get great holiday deals that will allow you to visit more than one place as well.

You would not imagine how much knowledge and resources an agent can have. Professional travel agents are trained in travel. It's their job to know the ins and outs of popular travel destinations. The internet might offer a lot of information that is readily available to you, but you may choose to visit places that a travel professional has actually been to.

Local knowledge is great power! Good agents are as familiar with your destination as they are with back of their hand. They can put together a successful tour for your chosen destination, taking into account any intricacies. For instance: they would consider the effects of altitude on the client and the route, or the impact seasonal weather has on afternoon flight schedules, when putting together a tour in Peru. Independent travellers find it hard to know these small details.

Don't doubt that, if something goes wrong on your trip, your travel agent can advocate for you. If you need to call on a local operator, your travel agent will usually know one you can reach. You might need help with translation in a medical emergency, or assistance with changing your tour, or want to complain about something you are not happy with.

Finally, your trip will be customized around your specific preferences, budget, available travel dates, and special attractions you want to see - it is a personalized service. Remember, travel agents are working for you.




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