Visiting a travel agent on the high street used to be the only way of getting access to someone who could book your holidays for you. However, then came the internet and everything changed in the space of just a few short years.
Today, almost everyone is able to get online and make themselves a holiday itinerary in just a couple of hours, complete with rooms, flights and excursions booked. It’s why, according to a PhoCusWright study, fewer than ten per cent of leisure travellers now use travel agents.However, there are still reasons why people going away might decide to seek advice from an expert rather than taking the DIY approach – and this is relevant if you’re a hotel owner or marketer too, as it means you may want to consider retaining your presence with them.What is a booking engine?If you have a hotel website, then you should already be familiar with what a booking engine is. If not, it’s a piece of software that allows the end user to complete a reservation for a travel product such as a hotel room or flight without them having to contact a member of staff at your side.The best online booking engine for hotels will depend on their size and what functionality is necessary, but it’s important to note that travel agents also have access to such booking engines from a variety of providers, all linked to a wider network that means they can help people find their holiday destinations and make suitable bookings.Travel agents can use their booking engines to:
• Compare hotels by star ratings
• Choose the best travel options for a variety of demographics
• Provide add-ons such as travel insurance, extra meals etc
• Provide transfers to and from resorts
• Plan activities and events.
For travel agents, searches can be made with the specific needs of each customer in mind and they can use their login details to ensure bookings from anywhere, at any time.Benefits of using travel agent booking enginesYou might assume that travellers simply won’t be interested in using a travel agent if they can get on the internet and do the whole job themselves, but as we’ve mentioned, these experts do still have a place in the travel industry.For example, demand for a particular holiday destination might suddenly go up due to certain events that are happening there. If thousands of people are trying to book travel to that destination, they might struggle to gain access to websites and eventually fail to do so.
However, travel agents utilise a different network and different booking engines and so may be able to get through and confirm a booking where the layman cannot.There is also the point that travel agents are likely to have great insider knowledge on factors like when is best to book in terms of rates, offers and promotions, as well as how to link different aspects of a holiday (such as transfers, flights and excursions) together without having to spend hours doing research. Who might use a travel agent?There are lots of different people who might prefer to make use of a travel agent as opposed to trying to go it alone, so let’s take a look at a few examples.
1. Group bookings If there are multiple people travelling to a destination together, there may be issues caused if they all log on to separate websites or visit the hotel directly to make their bookings. For instance, they might end up in a completely different part of the hotel to each other, making communication difficult. This is particularly the case if it happens to be a bridal party and their guests.To avoid this problem, a travel agent will complete a group booking and then deal with the whole party as one group, at the same time as retaining their separate payment details. This makes life much less stressful for the travellers if chances need to be made at any point.
2. Travellers unsure of where to goNo one can know a destination if they haven’t been there before and it’s difficult to be sure in advance if it will suit their needs and holiday requirements. For instance, someone wanting a quiet, relaxing break won’t want to accidentally reserve hotel rooms in the centre of a hopping nightspot. Approaching a travel agent will help those unsure of potential destinations to narrow down choices because the representative will have expert knowledge about what they’re like
3. People going somewhere with complications Some destinations have special requirements when it comes to visas and other necessary documentation, with the USA requiring some travellers to fill in visa cards while still on the plane, to name one example. This can be daunting and holidaymakers won’t want to get it wrong for fear of not being able to get off the plane, which is where travel agents can step in and organise all the paperwork for them.
4. Anyone eager to avoid holiday pitfalls Holiday mishaps can happen, whether it’s a huge storm tearing up the resort, flights being overbooked or lost bags sending every item of holiday clothing somewhere completely different. If you take the DIY approach, you’re on your own – but with a travel agent, you’ve got help at your fingertips. They can jump airline phone queues, rescue suitcases and organise alternative accommodation with minimal stress, something that can really help travellers out.
As you can see, although not as many people use travel agents as was the case 20 years ago, they do still have a place in the industry. If you’re a hotel owner, it’s a good idea to look at the demographics above and see if they reflect your guests.If they do, then it might be well worth keeping hold of your presence with travel providers who still use agents and their networks. You may find that it’s a valuable channel for bookings and offers a good return on investment when compared to the cost involved.
