Why a Travel Advisor Vs Online?
I think it is fair to start this Travel Talk, by agreeing that excessive online and social media information can be quite overwhelming, right?
Having access to it is great, but what to do with it is no easy task. Travel is no exception to this rule. This online challenge can turn your dream vacation into a planning nightmare. If you are nodding your head positive, you need a Travel Advisor. Here are my top 5 reasons why.
1. Your Travel Advisor will efficiently help you navigate through the clutter, eliminating hundreds, if not thousands, of products that are not of your interest. They will narrow the choices to your, personalty, travel style and budget. Think about it, If you googled hotel in Paris you would get over 400 million hits( even if you read them all and why would you? ) if you’ve never been to Paris, which do you pick? It is not much different when you google best cruises or best tours.
2. Your Travel Advisor will protect your investment. They hold your best interest at heart, you come first. The online world is marketing and sales focused, facts and reviews are often twisted or manipulated, even when accurate, they are targetting broad demographics or segments, not thinking of JUST YOU. Your TA will give you advise and accurate feedback, based on what is right for you. Their most valuable asset is not transactional but a long standing relationship with you.
3. Travel Advisors have access to key contacts and strong partnerships all over the world. They rely on these, to make sure your travel experience is enhanced from the moment you leave your home until your return. These solid, resourceful relationships cannot be googled.
4. There is a strong chance, that your Travel Advisor has travelled more than you have. This does not mean they have been to more places or been everywhere, (although they are working very hard at it) it means traveling is a big part of their job description, this makes them experienced world travelers, they travel constantly and travel well. They know the Dos and Don’ts, tips and best practices of travel. They will share these with you to elevate your travel experience. Even on their personal holiday, they are looking at things from a guest and from a TA stand point, always thinking which client do I see here? Does this work for my client? They are the bucket list match makers!
5. Your Travel Advisor will save you time and frustration. Remember Once you hit search, you are in a foreign land where everything is on sale and looks amazing, so where to start? It would require a significant amount of time (days, weeks or more) to narrow down options, this might work if you had a year or two to plan your trip, but what about if you wanted to go away next month? Most likely you are just rolling the dice. You must view your TA, as your best Advanced Search option, your most accurate filter.
So when you start to think about future travel plans, instead of reaching out for your your tablet, reach out for your phone and call your Travel Advisor!
Hope you found today’s chat valuable, talk to you next Tuesday
Geisel Power
