What benefits can be gained from the use of travel agents and can every traveler obtain the necessary services they need? What should be considered when deciding to avail of services from a travel agency and are there rules for choosing policies? This article can give a comparison among the pros and cons or travel agency services to the regular traveler.
All travel agents are engaged in what is commonly referred to as retail businesses wherein they exist to sell travel related products and services to all possible clientele. The selling aspect is in relation to deals or transactions these retailers have with suppliers such as airlines, car rentals, insurance firms, hotels, cruises, and even railway transport. Agencies like these can mix up different combinations of land or water arrangements which result to the creation of sightseeing tours and travel packages to name a few.
Travel agents cater mostly to ordinary people but they can offer services addressed to businessmen and the like. There are even some travel providing agencies which only choose to cater to the needs of people going on commercial and business trips. There are agencies who mediate for foreign companies and these can be given office spaces in the foreign countries concerned.
The first service from travel agents originated in Britain with a particular bank offering travel services to some wealthy clients. Modern travel agencies appeared only during the late part of the nineteenth century as compared to the former being established in 1758. The first package tours were originally arranged making use of the services of railway transportation in the earlier years of travel agencies.
Aviation technology appearing in the 1920’s gave rise to the functionality of travel agents in terms of providing adequate vacation services and the like. The working class people also had the opportunity to attain of agency services as it shifted and expanded its market from that of only the middle and upper classes. The working class availed of assistance when it came to the occasional beach holiday where agencies are flooded with assistance requests.
Services from travel suppliers are sold locally by particular travel agents who make the former available to everyone in general. Trip reservations or bookings signal the ordering process done by travel agencies to their travel suppliers. Tickets and the like are discounted before agencies receive them earning the latter commissions on every travel product.
Travel agents can be able to provide currency exchange, hotel bookings, car rental arrangements, and in house insurance coverage. The problem is the occurrence where agencies choose a specific market to serve and a select few of suppliers to deal with. High purchasing power and greater supplier benefits will definitely affect an agency’s decision with regard to the selection of both supplier and clientele.
Technology can either be the edge or the cause for alarm with travel agents and these are often unpredictable for such agencies. Travelers can locate an agency by means of the internet rather easily and this convenient means of business can indeed boost sales. The internet can lead to a decline in travelers calling for the help of agencies as well and this could definitely cause serious problems in relation to the future of the business.
Travel agents cost more to hire as they offer both convenience and an optimal vacation. Only decide among agencies from which past services and current services have been proven flawless since the source of travel services can be detrimental to the overall result that a trip can deliver to a traveler. Obtain the aid of travel agencies when there are details to a trip that cannot be handled manually as they will surely be able to help out greatly.