Providing you with the latest insights, information, tips and news about your favourite travel experiences and destinations.

For the last decade, many believed that the travel market for travel agents was all but dead. Giant online booking platforms had taken over the industry with websites and mobile applications that gave consumers access to whatever information they needed to book travel themselves. From price comparison websites, to aggregators and deal finders, all seemed lost for anybody looking to sell travel the traditional way. Why would I wait two to three days for someone to find pricing for me for a hotel when I can find that information for myself in ten minutes?

If you are still asking yourself or anyone else that question, then I have news for you. Believe it or not, consumers are once again going back to using travel agents to help them with their travel bookings. What exactly is causing this shift when online booking technology has gotten even better? That is the tricky question. However if you look at who’s leading this shift, then it may not be all that surprising. Studies show that Millennials are more likely to enlist the services of a travel specialist than any other generation. Yes, that is right, it’s the younger generation of adults that actually have no interest in sitting down online for two hours scrolling through resort images, reading fake reviews, and comparing prices from ten different websites. There are way too many exciting things going on in the world today for them to invest time and effort doing something that someone else, more experienced is willing to do for free.

It’s not only Millennials that are moving away from online booking engines. Consumers across all generations are starting to find that booking travel online, though easy at the front-end, are way more likely to create more headaches and disappointment at the other end of their trip, than if they had used a travel specialist. Review systems are no longer credible as vendors are submitting fake reviews on review sites to promote their product, online booking websites are not updating their website information often enough, so many times images are outdated and don’t tell the true story. These sites are also failing to keep consumers aware of critical resort or hotel updates such as renovations, policy changes etc. As these major defects are starting to become more and more apparent in the online travel-booking world, the value of a travel specialist is once again starting to increase.

Another major factor affecting the travel booking landscape, is the current shift that is happening in consumer travel habits. Travelers are more adventurous and are constantly seeking new and unique travel experiences. When it comes to making recommendations based on interest and personal preferences, asking a real person will win over an algorithm 100% of the time.

Travel agents who can qualify themselves as product specialists for any market segment are at a premium today. The key for travel agents, is to use technology to their advantage, to make themselves more known and more accessible. Setup a personal website that adequately represents what type of travel specialists you are, and use outlets such as social media websites, directory listings, Google ads and email marketing to make it easy for consumers looking for your services to find you.

The timing could not be more perfect for you to get into the travel business if you are currently thinking about it. And if you are already selling travel, it’s time to amp up your marketing as there are people out there seeking out your expertise.