Your Business

30 Reasons Why Travel Agents are Your Travel BFFs

As a travel agent you know your own worth, but sometimes you just have to tell your clients and/or prospects why they need and must be booking travel with you. Use your social media accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter, to spread the good word about the agent community. List one reason each day for 30 days as to why travel agents are your travel BFFs. Ask your clients to jump in there too and tell their stories on how you helped them book travel. It’s a 30-day challenge that just might pay off in increased sales!

Day 1: Dollars and Cents

It is literally an agent’s job to find the latest deals and value if that’s a priority for their client. Agents are often able to get the best deals because of their relationships with travel suppliers. How much can you save? Travel agents can save consumers between $300 and $400 per trip according to a 2016 American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) study, “Best of Both Worlds: Quantifying How Travel Agents Save Consumers Time and Money.”  

Day 2: Knowledge is Power

Agents take educational courses to become experts on an array of travel products and often visit and experience them first-hand so that they can come back and sell with confidence.

Day 3: Value Adds

Many agents have relationships with suppliers and consortia partners that allow them to offer value-added benefits for free, such as shore excursions, breakfast, Wi-Fi access, upgrades and more.

Day 4: Answer Questions About the Boring Stuff
Anyone can talk about the exciting world of travel, but agents help their clients with the small details that will ensure a successful trip, such as navigating through passport and visa needs. They also can explain travel legalese, like cancellation policies and restrictions.

Day 5: Groups R Us


If you’re planning a group vacation, whether it’s a multigenerational family trip or girls or golf getaway, travel agents can put it together and pave the way for a wonderful trip for all.

Day 6: Magical Buying Power
Agents are armed with know-how and buying power, so they can often wield magic, such as getting a hotel room at a property that is supposedly sold out.

Day 7: Problem Solver
An agent can try to get a satisfactory resolution if a problem does arise while on vacation.

Day 8: Time is Money
Searching on the Internet for “the best deal” takes time and patience. Agents can do the research for you. Travel agents save consumers three-plus hours in travel planning per trip according to the 2016 American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) study, “Best of Both Worlds: Quantifying How Travel Agents Save Consumers Time and Money.” 

Day 9: What’s New Now
Agents are often the first to hear about a new hotel, new cruise ship, and even an emerging destination as the place to be.

Day 10: Combat Indecisiveness


Can’t choose between one cruise line or all-inclusive over another? A travel agent can outline features and benefits of each and help you decide which one is right for you.

Day 11: One Call Does It All
Agents can handle all aspects of travel: air, hotel, sightseeing, transfers, cruises, activities, and more.

Day 12: Agents Keep the Ideas Coming
Even when you’re not shopping for your next vacation, a good agent is. They’ll remember that China is on your wish list and if a new tour comes up that is a good match for you then they will reach out and let you know.

Day 13: Agents Know You
Unlike a cold online site, a good agent will get to know you as an individual: your likes, interests, budget, traveling partners, and more. They’ll be able to accurately suggest travel products based solely on you as an individual and your travel preferences.

Day 14: Small Details Add Up
Looking for restaurant suggestions in Venice, where to shop in Paris, and what’s the hottest club in Vegas? Agents are in the know and can help add to your trip in so many small ways.

Day 15: Putting it All There in Black and White
Agents can come up with a comprehensive itinerary with a choice of options and rates so that you can see exactly what you can do based on your budget.

Day 16: Celebration Time
Destination weddings, big birthdays or anniversaries, graduations, retirements, and other life events all add up to a time to celebrate with a big trip. You want an expert making the arrangements because these are once-in-a-lifetime trips.

Day 17: Extend that Business Trip
You use an agent when you travel for business, so why not ask that agent to extend your time in a destination with some leisure weekend fun and bring the spouse along.

Day 18: Play Referee
It’s not easy to create an itinerary that everyone is happy with if you are on a multigenerational family trip or a girls or multi-couples getaway. An agent can speak to each traveler individually and find out their wish list for the trip and put together an itinerary that will keep everyone happy.

Day 19: Ditch the Stress
Let the experts handle the details and you just enjoy the end result of a great vacation.

Day 20: Senior Travel Benefits
Agents can arrange for private transfers, ADA accommodations as needed, and other ways to ensure comfort for seniors traveling the world.

Day 21: Family Focus
Agents are able to sift through properties to find the best children’s programs based on the ages of the traveling children. They can also work with hotels to arrange for private babysitters if the family has a need for them.

Day 22: Romantic Offerings

Those seeking to set up a romantic wedding proposal can work with an agent who can put everything in place at the hotel and/or destination to make sure it is a proposal to remember.

Day 23: Tackling Travel Fears
If you are concerned about travel to select areas of the world, agents can help provide you with accurate information on travel advisories and work together with you to decide if, where, and when you should travel.

Day 24: Making a Difference
If you wish to be involved in voluntourism during your travels, an agent can help set up opportunities for you to give back to the communities.

Day 25: Understanding Location
Location is key to many destination stays and online information can sometimes be confusing. Agents can do the legwork and find out such things as if a quiet beachfront property really is that quiet or it’s in the path of airplanes flying into the airport.

Day 26: Travel Insurance Ins and Outs
Have questions about whether or not travel insurance is necessary and what type to get? The answer is usually yes, but agents can break it all down for you.

Day 27: Cultural Musts
If you are seeking authentic experiences, agents can suggest and set up the activities that offer insights into the people and cultures of the countries you are visiting.


Hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey

Day 28: World’s Top Events
Agents can help get tickets to the world’s top events and build a package around them. Alternately, they can let you know not to travel during a certain time of year if it’s that city’s annual festival and you’re not someone who likes crowds.

Day 29: Packing Lists
If you have questions on what to wear and what to pack, agents can help you by telling you expected attire on specific cruises, or what is appropriate in certain countries. They can also explain what you can and cannot carry on the airplane.

Day 30: Time to Upgrade
Do you want to splurge on the suite on Club Level this time? An agent can explain the advantages to upgrading, such as included breakfasts and concierge service.

Engaging with your clients and prospective clients via social media reminds them that you've got all the tips, tricks, and rescources for their travel needs. Post your own 30 Day Challenge and see what your clients have to say about why their travel agent is their BFF.

 

Belong to an organization where members inspire each other


Your clients come to you with dreams that you turn into life-changing realities. Vacation.com helps to further inspire those dreams by helping you motivate your clients to take advantage of exceptional travel opportunities with our results-oriented marketing and technology. What's more, our exclusive programs are filled with free amenities and value-added perks that your clients cannot secure on their own. Visitwww.joinvacation.com to learn more.

This article is brought to you by Vacation.com, and was produced in partnership with Travel Agent Central’s sales team. Travel Agent Central’s editorial team played no part in developing the article.