The job description of “travel agent” has grown and evolved over the decades. What was at one time more of an administrative job – taking travel orders, booking reservations on highly regulated airlines and writing the tickets – has become a professional career requiring personal experience and knowledge about every corner of the globe. Today’s travel agents are full-service consultants who help clients fulfill needs and create memories.

Travel Agents Have “Been There, Done That”

Whether they caught the travel bug early on, developed an infatuation with a foreign culture, or are simply geography nerds, every travel agent you meet is likely to be very well traveled. The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) says that over 20% have visited 50 countries or more! Travel agents experience destinations and cultures first hand and as a result, they are able to truly advise clients on the best time to go, where to stay and what not to miss.

Travel Agents Build Relationships

As travel agents visit destinations, inspect resorts and design custom trips for their clients, they build relationships with tour operators, hotel managers, and travel providers. Those personal relationships are the secret sauce in arranging customized experiences for travelers that fulfill dreams. This positive experience, in turn, builds a lasting relationship between the advisor and the traveler. The travel agent becomes a trusted partner in planning exceptional travel experiences.

Travel Agent Use is On the Rise

Reservations by travel agents actually account for one-third of the $284 billion U.S. travel market, according to a New York Times report. From Millennials to seniors, more travelers are giving up on DIY travel and seeking out the advice of expert travel advisors. In fact, according to ASTA, 41% of Millennials are making travel reservations through travel agents – more than any other age group. Online travel agencies are experiencing a year-over-year reduction in usage because travelers continue to find benefits in working with a live travel agent.

The Professional Pool is Growing

More people using travel agents creates new openings in the job market. Travel agencies are hiring both employees and independent contractors to fill the increased demand for skilled travel planners. There are 64,750 full-time travel advisors in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and they predict that number to grow by 10% by 2020.

Travel Agencies are Healthy Businesses

As Mark Twain famously quipped, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Travel agencies have been rumored to be on their death beds for the last decade. Indeed, the 9/11 tragedies and the great recession were hard on the travel industry, but it survived the downturn and is now stabilized. ASTA reports that the majority of agencies are showing an increase in sales and revenues for the last two years and expectations for the future are positive.

 

If you want to experience the difference a professional travel agent can make in your travel planning, contact any one of thetop-notch travel advisors at Covington Travel for your next trip.