Are travel agents useful or have they gone the way of the Dodo?
If I had’ve written this post ten years ago about whether travel agents would still exist in 2020, I would have predicted that like Kodak film, travel agents were no longer needed.. But I’ve been proved wrong! Travel Agents have not only continued to exist but they have thrived in the age of DIY travel bookings and I’m confident that when the new decade clicks over at the end of the year travel agents will still exist.
So why the popularity in the days of DIY? (with full disclosure, I am not a travel agent and really only book DIY)
Travel Agents are still many traveller’s go-to and I recommend travel agents for anyone who is a travel novice, doesn’t have the time or patience or has special needs travel. For the majority of people who just don’t have the hours to trawl through multiple web sites looking for “the best deal”, travel agents are a godsend. For starters, they will give you hotel and airline recommendations that match your budget and your style of travel. The quotes that they put together aren’t excessively expensive (yes, you might save $100 on a $3000 holiday if you did it yourself but you would have spent at least ten hours researching) and you know what you’re going to get.
DIY takes TIME.. In fact, I treat going on a holiday like a job– I spend hours researching every single possible option and you do need to know what you’re doing. If you are planning your first overseas holiday do you know what it is that you need to organise for that trip? Chances are that you probably don’t, but your travel agent will. Yes, you can trawl many blogs (just like the one you are reading) about what to expect, what to pack, what visas you need, where to stay, what to see and do– or you could just pay someone that extra couple of bucks and save yourself a whole lotta headache.
If however, you have had practice and see travel as one big adventure then DIY is definitely for you. There is nothing more memorable than staying in “that dumpy motel that looked amazing on the website but ended up having a big sag in the middle of the bed” or booking a berth on a ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm only to discover that you booked the berth for the day before you actually arrived (if you want a side-line laugh tune into my co-writer’s website Tragic Travels for his tales and tribulations of DIY travel).
Some of my favourite DIY travel booking websites are:
Flights- edreams.com
Rental Cars- economycarrentals.com
Cheap Cruises- vacationstogo.com
Accommodation- booking.com + airbnb.com
If you are a novice, time poor or have special needs then do consider a travel agent. I’ve used the same agent for years, Bianca. Find her and her great staff @ https://www.travelassociates.com/luxury-holidays-news/tag/taylor-and-turner-travel-associates