Why do You Need a Travel Agent?

Part 1 - What's in it for me?

Finally arrived...

As Andrew Garfield so eloquently put it in the hit movie Social Network:

"I had a long wait on the tarmac at JFK, then a long wait at the passenger loading and unloading zone at SFO, and in between there was a long flight."

But instead of walking into a room filled with smoke, an uninvited house guest, and questionably aged girls, customers of today's travel agents are finding a rather nice surprise when they get to where they are going.

According to PhoCusWright, a travel research firm, in 2011 travel agencies experienced a second consecutive year of growth with their bookings accounting for around a third of the $284 billion United States Travel market.  With the increased complexity of online booking and the limited safety nets those programs provide, both corporate and leisure travelers are finding the value in having a dedicated travel agent manager all of their travel needs.  Using a combination of both personal service and technology, today's savvy travel agencies are injecting a level of customization and added value incentives not previously seen in the travel industry.

With so many online tools at the consumers fingertips, there stands the inevitable question: 'Why do I need a travel agent?'  Today's travel agents set themselves apart from the onslaught of information online by offering unique experiences that the average consumer would have to labor tirelessly achieve, like after hours tours of the Sistine Chapel, tee times on golf courses normally closed to the public, or tapping resources to get that room in a sold-out hotel or on the next flight when unforeseen challenges arise.

Having a dedicated travel agent can also make you an instant VIP - free room upgrades, hard to get restaurant reservations, private guides, and cheaper, often much cheaper airfares.  The bottom line is that travel agents know more than you do when it comes to putting together an amazing travel package, have more resources and contacts to tap when trying to get the unattainable, and most importantly, travel agents have the time to do the legwork needed to get that villa in the Serengeti during peak season.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our three part series 'Why do You Need a Travel Agent?' and learn how today's agents use their first hand experiences to provide the most memorable vacations to their clients...