Travel Advisors: The Value We Bring
“We haven't used a travel agent in a very long time mainly because I didn't think they could add any more value than what we could do on our own. Ted showed us that was not true."
I copied the text above from a review by one of my clients on Virtuoso. This insightful and much appreciated thought is actually very common, and reflects the sentiments I am humbled to hear repeated consistently by travlers that I work with for the first time. And in the age of the internet, I think it reflects a broad misunderstanding by the general public about how the role of the travel advisor has evolved over the past 20-30 years. In order to appreciate the role we play today, I think it's important to have some context.
A Bit of Background
Miami, FL
Many of you (like me) remember when brick and mortar travel agencies were as common as churches or grocery stores. The agencies really were “agents”. Although you could purchase a range of travel services from them, their primary purpose was to serve as agents for the airlines, interpreting the perplexing tables of the GDS (Global Distribution System) (and other systems before that). The inscrutability of the vast data tables made it very difficult for the typical traveler to research and book their own air. So one way or another, almost everyone went through a travel agent.
With the evolution of the internet, the GDS became democratized with new user interfaces that slowly allowed the airlines to sell travel directly to consumers. Furthermore, Online Travel Advisor (OTA) platforms like Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbit emerged providing consumers a way to compare itineraries and fares across carriers. The impact of these new services had an enormous and often immediate impact on brick and mortar agencies.
As many of these legacy agencies began shutting down, it was unclear whether or not travel agents (as a component of the broader travel industry) would survive at all. And honestly, until about 2010, things remained shaky. The first decade of the new century had resulted in a shaking-out and reorganization that resulted in a clear divorce between airlines and agents. The future became clear. Travelers would book tickets directly from the airlines (or in certain cases from OTAs with complex business models). The days of the airlines paying a commission to agents was over.
While this could have been the end of the agent, things turned out quite differently. Suppliers (cruise lines, tour operators, hotels, etc) while developing some direct-to-consumer options, decided that their future lay primarily with building relationships with travel agents (which were now generally referred to as “travel advisors”). These suppliers decided that they would not undercut advisors. In other words, they would not offer travelers a “better deal” by booking directly, and more importantly, they would continue to pay commissions to advisors for their clients’ bookings. Why did they decide to do this?
The Black Forrest, Germany
I am now in the realm of speculation, but I believe that one reason is information overload…..”digital noise”. Consumers were starting to “sniff a rat”. It was becoming clear that not everything they read on the internet was true. (I know. Shocking.) Is that hotel really awesome? Or did some marketing firm hire a lot of people to write positive reviews about it? Is the person that wrote the blog post about the great shore excursion in Alaska being paid by the excursion company? Who knows really. And I am not dissuading you from doing your own research, but as my wife will tell you in a health care context, “it’s easy to dig yourself a hole on-line”. So I think in the end, suppliers understood that they needed educated, trained, empathetic consultants capable of working directly with travelers to make good decisions in a landscape of (at best) inconsistently accurate information.
I also think that they recognized the power of personal relationships. Cunard (for example) is a wonderful company, but they can’t expect to really get to know every guest…. Their preferences, priorities, and motivations; the things that really matter when it comes to a meaningful connection between a human being and an experience. I care deeply about my clients, and I know that my peers do as well. I am beholden to no particular company or supplier. I work with my clients to make the best choices for them as people. In the end this benefits both the suppliers and clients, reducing the risk of poorly matched expectations and experiences.
Then came Covid! However, rather than eroding the value of the travel agent, Covid actually drove a renaissance for the travel planning community. Even sophisticated do-it-yourself planners were becoming overwhelmed by the ever-changing and often confusing minefield of global Covid rules. Many turned to travel advisors for the first time to assist with navigating the experience. This allowed them to actually experience what advisors do and kept them returning to their advisors even after Covid restrictions begin to recede.
My Superpower 🦸🏻♂️
Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
It might be surprising, but the most important thing we do as travel advisors, is simply knowing our industry partners. Really knowing them! For example, let's say that you want to do an Alaskan cruise. Last I checked, there were 21 cruise lines and 75 ships operating in Alaskan waters during the summer season. My role as a travel advisor is to be knowledgeable about all of these cruise lines. (OK, so maybe I'm not an expert on all 21, but I know most of them.) I don't work for any of these cruise lines, but I partner with all of them. So when you come to me and share your budget, schedule, preferences, and priorities, I can objectively match your expectations to the right experience. And honestly, that's really important. And what's true for Alaska is just as true for a tour of Italy, or choosing the right hotel in Lima, Peru. My job is to connect you with the experience that is going provide the most value for you personally.
But that costs extra money, right?
Nope. That's the part that most people don't understand. Once we collaborate together to determine what the best experience is for you, I can book it for you and manage all the details at the same price that you could have booked it at directly (or even less in certain cases). As a travel advisor, I do not mark up my partner's pricing. We are here to add value to travel planning, not to make it more expensive. Magic! Right? (Well, not exactly magic. In almost all cases, when you purchase a cruise, or tour, or hotel, the travel advisor's commission is actually baked into the price you are paying. So if you choose to book directly, you are typically allowing the cruise line or tour operator to keep the travel advisor's commission. And for better or worse, they don't thank you in any way for doing that. 👀)
An exception to this may be "private custom travel" (as opposed to organized tours, ocean cruises, river cruises etc). I frequently plan private, custom itineraries for my clients in Spain and other destinations around the globe. In fact, I think it may be what I do best! And my clients love the results. When I do this, I work with my partners on the ground at your destination to really get the details right, ensuring that you have a seamless experience that truly matches your own unique priorities and expectations. However, there are planning costs involved in these cases. So if you broke down all the separate components of a seamless, private, multi-day experience (tours, transportation, lodging, etc), booking each one separately, and then bolting them all together yourself, it's usually a bit less expensive for you. However, the value to you would often not be as high.
What else?
"What else" is that I can often provide you with exclusive amenities that you could not access by booking directly. So in many cases, you are clearly coming out ahead booking through me, even if you don't care about my knowledge or white glove service. How do I (as an advisor) access these amenities for you? There are a variety of ways, ranging from my personal relationships with my partners through more established amenities provided to my clients through my Virtuoso network affiliation.
So then basically, everyone should be using a travel advisor, right?
Well, in most cases, I'd have to say yes. However, there are three types of travelers out there that may be better off planning/booking on their own:
Mallorca, Spain
Travelers that truly find joy in planning their own travel. If that's you, then go for it! I'm not here to steal your joy. 😊 Keep in mind though that working with a travel advisor does not mean you have to turn the whole trip over to the advisor. Maybe you just need help booking a hotel, a villa, or a cruise with amenities. Or maybe you just need help finding a tour, or even just travel insurance. I'm here for you.
Travelers whose exclusive concern is price. My priority as a travel advisor is value and quality, not price. I certainly care about your budget, but I reserve the right not to book a "cheap vacation" that is very likely not going to make you happy. My signature is on every trip that I book. ✍🏻
Travelers that would remove their own appendix if they could find a "how-to video". You know who you are. 😆 (And yes, you actually can remove your own appendix. Please don't.)
Anything else you want to share?
One last thing. When you book your travel through me (or any other travel advisor) you are generating revenue in local communities. Beyond keeping it local, many of us give back generously to local causes. For example, I donate a significant portion of every commission I receive toRonald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio, as well as supporting the critical mission of theSumma Foundation. So we actually make a difference together. I want to have a productive business, but my "why" is service to you as clients, and to my community as neighbors. 🏠
