The use of travel advisors is on the rise this summer, according to a new survey of more than 500 TRAVELSAVERS travel advisors.
“Travel advisors are hot this summer, with more than fifty percent of respondents seeing an uptick in clients utilizing an advisor for the first time,” said Nicole Mazza, chief marketing officer of TRAVELSAVERS, in a written statement.
Here are some more key insights from the report:
In addition to a bump in first-time clients, nearly 75 percent say that budgets are as good or better than 2018.
“2019 began with some, fortunately, unwarranted trepidation as customers watched and waited before booking. But nearly halfway through the year, we see the summer travel season is here and as strong as ever,” said Mazza.
While destinations in the United States, particularly Alaska, Florida and California, are popular this summer, Europe is going strong, with nearly 70 percent of advisors planning trips to the continent. Mazza also noted that more than 60 percent of respondents are developing itineraries focused on cultural pursuits, particularly in Ireland, Italy and France.
In addition to the more ‘traditional’ portions of the itinerary such as the hotel, tours and flights, travel advisors are being called upon to handle elements that not only enhance the trip, but also make their clients’ lives easier at home, TRAVELSAVERS said. Nearly 10 percent of advisors say that they’ve been asked to arrange pet sitting services, with another 10 percent citing grocery shopping on their list of requests from clients this summer. This is, of course, in addition to the nearly 65 percent who have been called upon to grab coveted restaurant recommendations and the nearly 20 percent seeking wellness and beauty appointments during their trip.
Guided vacation and cruising are also strong for summer, according to 20 percent and 24 percent of respondents, respectively. But the front-runner this season is FIT, with nearly 50 percent of the results.
Finally, 93 percent of travel advisors cite repeat business this summer from former clients and a majority – 67 percent –receive thank you cards from their clients upon return from their trip.
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