Do People Still Use Travel Agents?

Categories Fresh off of training in Fort Lauderdale, my sister (and business associate!) and I were boarding our Southwest flight to BWI. In the queue inside the gangway headed to the plane, we encountered an older couple. This was Sunday, a primary disembarkation day for cruise ships, and this couple had a look that said they'd just come from a cruise. 

I struck up some small talk, thinking that it was good practice for the training that I'd just gone through for marketing my business. The couple had indeed just returned from a Caribbean cruise on Carnival. Neither looked very happy or impressed with their cruise experience. They chatted about how they preferred travelling to Europe. My sister and I simultaneously wondered why this couple had even been on a Carnival cruise; it didn't seem to be a good fit for their lifestyle and interests.

The distinguished-looking woman noticed my shirt (which read "Cruise Planners") and asked if we had also just come off of a cruise. I responded enthusiastically, "No, we sell cruises. We were just in training." She immediately retorted, "Do people still use travel agents?" with something like a haughty sneer.

And here I was, caught completely unprepared for what is likely going to be one of my biggest obstacles in this new endeavor: skepticism. It's not that I don't know the answer: Of course people still use travel agents. It's just that I didn't expect the mockng tone. 

So let me break it down for you, my avid traveler, so that we can get any contempt and doubt out of the way and move on to traveling some place extraordinary! Of course, my website gives you a pretty cut and dry answer and uses some key words: travel advisor, personalized service, one-stop shop, personal advocate. And that's what it all boils down to and why people still use travel agents. My business card even reads "Travel Advisor" but what it should really say...(aha! moment---and what will be on my next set of business cards) is "Travel Concierge". 

con·cierge
noun
1. an employee whose job is to assist guests by booking tours, making theatre and restaurant reservations, etc.

We assist people by booking tours (i.e. flights, cruises, resorts, excursions, etc.) and making all the reservations (even for theatre tickets!). A cruise just so happens to have everything in one package (entertainment, dining, activities), but we also book domestic hotels, car reservations, all-inclusives, adventure packages, and much more! 

But that's what I do. I do the work for you. We do the research. We find you the best deal for the best product. We save you the time...and ultimately the money. This is true for just about any "service" industry professional. You pay someone to cook and serve you food in a restaurant because you didn't want to spend the time or energy to cook at home. You pay someone to paint your fingernails or cut your hair because they will do a better job than you can. You hire someone to represent you in court, sell your house, or diagnose your malady because they are professionals at what they do. They have training and certification that you don't have.

Well, that's us here at Make My Getaway. Except that our services are FREE...completely, absolutely, 100%. We are your travel professionals. We have training and industry knowledge that you don't have. We CAN and WILL do a better job at finding you deals. And why spend your time and energy on something that we can do for you at no charge? Sit back, relax, and take care of those other pressing matters or enjoy the more fun pursuits in life. 

So, the next time someone asks me "Do people still use travel agents?" I'll have my answer ready and will say, "Yes! And you should too!"