The New York Times Says Travel Agents are Back

Make way for the travel agents, again, says a recent article from The New York Times.

With a raging comeback expected, and most definitely welcome, for the travel industry, “the previously disrupted, still-kicking, often misunderstood travel agent” will be the party planners for the 2021 vacation rager.

And really, who better but travel advisors (which is another term for “travel agent”) to guide the travel industry back to a booming success? That’s because travel advisors offer advantages and services to their clients like:

• Acting as an advocate if something goes wrong – If you land in Cancun and your airport transfer isn’t there, do you really want to troubleshoot this yourself? No. Call your travel advisor – they’ll figure it out for you.
• Navigating entry requirements – This service could not be more valuable to travelers than it is now. A travel advisor will figure out the timing of travelers’ COVID-19 PCR test or proof-of-vaccine requirements for them.
• Accessing exclusive deals on hotels, airfare and activities – Travel advisors often have direct relationships with travel providers and know the ins and outs of how to book things to get the best prices and options for their clients.
• Sharing current travel experiences – Travel suppliers often offer special travel experiences to advisors (called familiarization trips or FAMs), so if a traveler is thinking of going to a specific destination for the first time since the pandemic, chances are a travel advisor has already been there and can share their recent firsthand experience.

Though 2020 was a huge blow to the business of many travel agencies and the travel advisors that work at them, an increased vaccine rollout throughout the U.S. and the world, the lowest level of new COVID-19 cases since last summer and an overall increase in travel demand amongst Americans all point to the remainder of 2021 shining bright for travelers and travel advisors alike.