Why Americans are returning to the services of travel agents

Photo: depositphotos.com

Americans are more likely to turn to travel agents, despite the wide possibilities on the Internet.

Online booking with Expedia and Travelocity became popular as soon as the Internet reached the most remote corners of the planet. TripAdvisor, CruiseCritic and Hotels.com websites appeared in the network, where tourists left reviews and shared their impressions and wishes.

The flow of information just "covered" the Americans, like a wave in the ocean. But it soon turned out that things are not as easy as they seem. Tourists are increasingly wondering what to choose, where to go, often they were concerned about the issue of security. The search for answers took a lot of time and effort.

The only salvation for most tourists was travel agents. Although their number has declined significantly over the past 20 years, they still exist.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the US today there are about 70 thousands of travel agencies, which is 113 thousands less than in 2000 year.

The turning point occurred in 2010, when tens of thousands of flights were canceled, and travel and online booking sites could not cope with the influx of inquiries. At the same time, tourists rushed to travel agencies, whose employees worked for days to find 1 or 2 free places for customers.

Travel agents are like a lifeline during various crises and a tsunami of information. In this regard, travelers began to turn to them for services again.

“People are no longer going to consultants for information,” said Matthew D. Upchurch, chairman and chief executive officer of Virtuoso, a luxury travel chain. — They go for clarity and supervision; they need someone to help them cope with the abundance of information available.”

MMGY marketing firm estimated that in 2015, 18% of travelers turned to travel agents, which is twice as much as in the previous year.

Based on the 14 survey of thousands of families, the American Society of Travel Agents reports that currently the number of travel bookings through travel agents is the highest in the last 3 of the year.

With the increase in demand for travel agency services, their number begins to grow. This year growth has reached 6%. The same figure is predicted for next year. This is why travel agents offer an “expert level” of service.

Read also on ForumDaily:

What you need to know the citizens of the United States, traveling to Cuba

Mistakes that US tourists make in other countries

How to fly around the world in business class without paying a penny

23 tricks to help save time and money at airports

What to do to US citizens in case of problems abroad

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.