Travel agents not yet a thing of the past

Although an ever-increasing number of people are bypassing physical travel agencies and agents in order to book their plane tickets, cruises and hotels online, from the comfort of their own home, industry analysts maintain that there will still be a place for agents in the future and that predictions of their approaching extinction are far-fetched. Expedia

Australia’s director, Arthur Hoffman, observed that receiving a little personal attention from another human being will never go out of style and that this type of service is still seen by many as ideal, even if buying products online is far faster.

Yet the situation in the

US is becoming increasingly discomforting for many agents and physical travel agencies. While only ten years ago almost nobody booked airplane tickets online, the proportion of people willing to forgo agents for the virtual booking experience now stands at nearly 60%. In

Australia alone, consumers have spent over $29 billion booking holidays online. Yet Down-Under, only approximately 20% of travelers book domestic vacations on the internet. As such, there does still seem to be a sizeable market for physical travel agencies and agents. According to some analysts, Australian travel agents have even seen an upturn in their business over the course of the past year. A small handful of companies have a foot in both the virtual and real-life world of travel, such as Flight Centre, which allows customers to book both online, but also visit physical locations in most major urban centres if they prefer personalized service. Although Expedia does not operate physical travel agencies like Flight Centre, it also offers travelers the option of booking tickets by telephone and hearing a human voice.

It appears as though even online travel agencies recognize the need for a more human and personal booking experience. Additionally, many travelers who continue to book tickets through agents do so because it gives them a degree of comfort that there is someone specific to contact in case anything goes wrong during the vacation.

www.expedia.com