In a world of mobile phones, tablets and computers, where we all have access to any bit of information we’d like to know at our fingertips, why are more people turning to travel agencies to assist them in booking their vacations? Most of us have become familiar with travel booking sites and apps and searching for travel deals online but travel agency sales have been steadily rising for the past decade. Popularity of travel agents are not only on this rise with older generations but also with one of the most coveted generational groups, the Millennials.
Surprisingly, in a report by MMGY Global, 33% of Millennials reported that they plan on using a travel agent within the next two years. This is twice as many Gen Xers and Baby Boomers (17 and 18% respectively). Why are Millennials, the most tech savvy of the groups surveyed, opting to use travel agents when they could seemingly easily book online?
Better Experiences
One reason could be that those who use the assistance of a travel agency to book their vacation report having better and more pleasurable vacations than those who didn’t use an agency at all. Travel agents are pros at what they do. They know details the rest of us don’t about travel destinations, hotels, experiences, transportation, etc. It makes sense that all that knowledge would equate to superior vacation experiences for their customers.
Time
According to a study by the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), travel agents save customers an average of 4 hours of travel planning time. Between work, kids, cooking, cleaning and basic living, we’re all stretched for time. The help and time savings that travel agents offer their customers can be a huge benefit to using their services.
Deals and Savings
Even with all the special travel deals we see across the internet, ASTA reports that travel agents still save their customers an average of $452 per vacation. Although people are reportedly spending more on their vacations each year, we can all use an extra few hundred dollars to put towards meals, cocktails or fun adventures.
Vacations are supposed to be a fun and joyful experience, but truthfully, vacation planning isn’t always a pleasant or simple process. Vacation planning can be stressful and takes time, patience and an amazing amount of attention to detail to coordinate each part of your trip. If you’re planning an upcoming vacation you may want to take a tip from the Millennials and use a travel agent to save you time, money and provide you with that piece of mind that you can’t find by searching on the internet.
Did you know that DVC Shop offers Travel Agency services? Contact our rentals division to learn more about how DVC Shop can help you plan a stress free vacation and offer you exclusive deals and discounts.
Guest Author
Katherine Rand
