In today’s world filled with 24/7 self-book options and hundreds of travel websites and apps, planning and booking your own vacation can quickly become overwhelming. It only takes a quick search on the internet to discover the value of a travel professional. Just looking at the search term “Disney vacation planning ideas,” for example, shows 27,600,000 results! A family travel agent can help a guest sort through this overwhelming level of information to plan out the perfect trip.
Furthermore, with more travelers seeking out a fully customized, eco-friendly, unparalleled vacation that only true travel professionals can provide working with a travel agent is as essential to the trip organization process as ever.
However some individuals will not need the help of a travel expert for each individual trip, and some may never require the help at all. Who are these people and what do they look like?
Know It All Bob
Bob is the vacationer who lives on the internet and devours every piece of travel information that he can find. There are never enough travel articles, travel websites or destination and review sites to satisfy Bob. He is addicted to the Internet and is passionate about investigating every detail of his trip. If a luxury travel agent were to suggest an idea to Bob he would not trust the suggestion until he himself had researched and confirmed it.
Although the Internet can present anything it wants to present which may lead to dubious, incomplete and out of date information, the know it all expert has no problem with this. In Bob’s mind if the Internet has stated it it must be true. These are dedicated Do It Yourselfers and see no value in having a luxury travel agent take care of all the details of their trip. In their minds the best vacation is the one they plan themselves.
Deal Seeking Debbie
Debbie is the traveler who will look at every element of her trip and see an expense tag on every item. When planning her trip Debbie’s mind is in a constant state of going Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching with each element of the trip. This leads her to always be looking for ways to cut back and to find a better, cheaper deal. Debbie lives on the discount websites and is never satisfied to book until she has price compared on multiple booking sites. Debbie does not understand the difference between price vs. value so when the luxury travel agent talks to her about the best value, she cannot comprehend the discussion nor has any interest doing so.
To Debbie, the cheapest option is always the best. When booking it makes no difference to Debbie that the hotel is an hour outside of the city. Nor in her rush to get the absolute best price did she notice that the attraction tickets she thought were included were not. Nor did the hotel include breakfast or any meals.
Sadly for Debbie only after she arrives does she realize the better valued package the luxury travel agent could have provided – offering center city accommodations with breakfast, and exclusive tickets to the attractions she wanted would have been the better “deal,” as it would have actually saved her money and offered exclusive perks the luxury travel agency could have arranged.
Global George
George is the ardent traveler who is always out exploring new parts of the world and knows every inch of it. George travels so frequently that he considers himself a local in most areas and knows the destinations he likes to travel to better than a luxury travel agent might.
Laid Back Louise
Louise is an apathetic traveler who just rolls with the things that come to her and has no issues or concerns with anything their environment might bring. Her oceanfront room looks out at the parking lot? No worries. The mattress is old and bumpy and comes with rough torn sheets? That’s fine. The nightclub outside the room is blaring until 2am? Not a worry. Let’s party!
While some may find that these types of situations could ruin the whole trip, to Louise she could care less. Her lenient style of travel planning allows for odd situations to happen and Louise is fine with that. Louise will be happy regardless, so the skills of a luxury travel agent are unneeded.
No Fuss Floyd
While Floyd shares some of the same tendency’s as Deal Seeking Debbie, he’s not quite as cheap. Nor is he as laid back as Louise. For Floyd he just doesn’t care about any travel enhancements or upgrades. VIP service bothers him and getting extra free amenities is a bother.
A luxury travel agent is all about going above and beyond and providing the extra services and amenities their travel agency can provide. The supplier relationships they have formed and the business knowledge they have developed doesn’t matter to Floyd. He is content with just a no-frills, no-fuss prudent vacation. Floyd just won’t see the benefit of a luxury travel agent who would provide over the top elements and service he does not want.
Bob, Debbie, George, Louise and Floyd are examples of traveler types who would not be good fits to work with a luxury travel agency. Again, if you find you match with these five, that is perfectly OK. Many people enjoy investigating, scheduling and reserving their own travel and that’s great!
However, should you be one who enjoys getting the extra perks that a luxury travel agent can provide, and having someone ensure that you are getting the absolute best value, services and amenities Travel N Relax would be happy to assist you. Give us a call to make your trip exceptional and to take care of all the details so you can truly Travel N Relax!
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