Travel Agents Are Still Around

Mike Carruthers:

Remember not all that long ago when you bought an airline ticket you'd get it from your local travel agent.

Michelle Morgan:
In the 80's there were travel agencies on every corner because they primarily dispensed airline tickets, which had to be distributed in paper.

Michelle Morgan, President of Signature Travel Network…

As the Internet emerged and people can now get ticketless travel, travel agencies have gone from the storefront to office buildings and they're very much alive and well today.

In fact three out of ten travelers today use travel agents and ninety percent of cruises are booked through travel agents. Why, when it's so easy to book your own travel?

Yes you could book a hotel but what are you going to get? A hotel room that overlooks the dumpster or do you want to be assured that you're going to have a room with a view? The other thing is someone that's going to be accountable - what if you were in Cancun when the swine flu epidemic hit? Do you want to be able to pick up the phone and call someone who can get you out of Dodge quickly, or who could make arrangements to have your trip at another time?

If you just want to book a simple airline ticket you may be better off just doing it yourself, but…

What you need a travel agent for in today's environment is to save you time - I mean there's tens of thousands of websites devoted to travel but a travel agent, they're an expert.

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