A good travel agent today is like having a great stock broker in the 80s & 90s!
We have all seen the headlines and read about the demise of the travel agent. Or so they used to say. Online booking agencies like Travelocity and Expedia, booking online directly with suppliers and now Google entering the market big time, all appear to have replaced the need for the travel advisor. But was this death notice posted prematurely? And maybe...just maybe...is the career choice of travel consultant one of today's best kept secrets? Covid sure answered that question!
The birth of the internet caused upheavals in many professions, but none so drastically as the world of travel. No longer did a travel advisor's knowledge of online booking systems offer job security. Yet Covid also showed all of those online travel warriors just how great it was to have a travel pro on your side when it came time to re-schedule, get credits, organize refunds, or to even know what you were entitled to.
Covid showed us just what a specialist actually does for you and how much money and time was saved because of our dedication and knowledge.
How many travellers threw in the towel, tired of long holds, impossible to get answers, or even keep track of who gave you a credit under what conditions? When can you go again? Where?
This makes the need for Travel Specialist ever more apparent.
For many people, the decision to spend their valuable leisure time and money traveling is one of the most costly investments made each year. Did you know that the amount of time spent researching travel online is second only to those "researching" X-rated sites? T
Lately, many hotels and guides have hired copy writers to write “fake” reviews on Trip Advisor. So how do you know what to believe anymore? Those in-the-know have found travel advisors (like me) that they value as much as, if not more than, their financial advisor and many do want to keep us a secret.
So who are these leaders in the brand new world of travel and how do you find one or become one?
We cover the spectrum in age, education and past experience. We all share a passion for exploration and adventure. The best in the field (like me) spend weeks or months traveling each year to stay up-to-date and most importantly are REAL specialists not generalists.
My passion for a all the AmaWaterways destinations on their luxurious AmaWaterways river cruise ships enables me to really focus on learning the inside and out of various suppliers and destinations so that I can be better equipped to find the best match for each of you.
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This week I am back in Amsterdam getting ready to sail the AmaSiena and bring you live reports about what travel is currently like, what hotels and cruise lines are doing to make you feel better about traveling and bringing you news from the streets!
Follow me at my Facebook page! and follow this adventure to #reopentherhine with #amawaterways
