The Return of the Travel Agent

While their numbers in the United States have gone from about 130,000 in 2004 to about 70,000 in 2015 according to a leading trade group, the travel agent is making a humble return as the numbers have thinned, leaving a group of knowledgeable, helpful and in-the-know travel gurus to assist more and more people interested in getting the best on vacation.

Quite simply, booking your own trip has really become a thing of the past for many. The information overload many face when booking flights, tours, hotels and other excursions means we are inundated with often inaccurate information, a flood of Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews and competition to choose from, that many are leaving this to others, even if it means paying a bit more. Often, it doesn’t and the money they save you is simply “taxed” with their fees to offer about what you could find yourself after countless hours of trying to put your own trip together.

At the end of the day, travel agents and their network of colleagues know more than you do. Now, someone planning on traveling the world with nothing more than a backpack has little need for a travel agent, but if you have a mere two-week vacation and miss a flight, travel agents are invaluable friends that can sort things out for you when you don’t have access to the internet or the time to do it yourself.

It’s likely that super cheap flight that popped up in your inbox was known to a number of travel agencies the week before you received an email.

Larger groups like Ovation Travel will always be around when it comes to luxury and corporate travel and this knowledge can be extended to your group when planning a vacation.