Ah, the old school travel agent. The one who sat behind a desk in a dark, sad looking office with pictures of a tropical paradise pinned to the wall and stacks of brochures ready to hand out. They loved a time share, sold pre set packages with no real personality, uniqueness, and definitely was full of tourist traps, but they promised it would be the adventure of a lifetime. You can imagine why the industry needed a fresh take.
Fast forward to today and the modern travel advisor has stepped up the game – part curator, part concierge, and part crisis saver at times. Most modern travel advisors are well traveled themselves, meaning they can provide first hand guidance and expertise. They create customized itineraries to help your dream vacation come to light.
Even with this new rebrand though, there’s still some myths out there. In this article you’ll read 7 myths about working with a travel advisor and their realities. We’re here to be your myth-busters if you will.
Myth: Travel advisors are only for luxury travel
Reality: While we do plan luxurious getaways, we also work with all kinds of travelers and budget ranges. From solo budget travelers to family adventures our job is to optimize YOUR travel experience based on your preferences, taste, budget and wishes. Think of us as matchmakers between you and your perfect trip, saving you time and stress doing the research yourself
Myth: It costs more to use a travel advisor
Reality: Yes many of us charge a planning fee when planning details for larger trips – this is because we’re offering tailored expertise, insider access to preferred partners and perks, and support you can’t get from AI. We’re often able to unlock complimentary upgrades, amenities, and hidden rates that actually make your trip better and more cost effective than trying to figure it out yourself. Also, Fora just released new software that will allow us to price track for you. If we book your hotel and the price drops, we’ll adjust your rate.
Myth: You can find everything you need online
Reality: Sure you can Google your way through planning, or have ChatGPT help give you a baseline for your upcoming trip, but the overwhelming amount of conflicting information and advice online can lead to costly mistakes. On average people spend 25 hours planning a one week vacation. That doesn’t factor in the stress of trying to coordinate excursions, day trips, transportation and ensuring that you can trust the reviews you read online from people who do not know you personally. We cut through all the noise, troubleshoot for you, and create a cohesive personalized experience all while saving you time out of our your busy schedule.
Myth: Travel agents are outdated and replaced by online booking sites
Reality: Old school travel agents may have worked from call centers and handed out brochures, mostly focused on pre-set packages they were trying to sell you at the time. Travel advisors today are consultants, designers, and planners who customize experiences based on real relationships with hotels, guides, and travel experts around the world. Another important note on online booking sites is your ranking at hotels when it comes to VIP treatment and upgrades. Booking through online sites is often at the bottom of the totem pole. When hotels are looking at their stays for the week they will prioritize updates based on the following: Celebrities, Major VIP clients and Travel Advisor bookings, Reward members like AMEX Business bookings, and last 3rd party booking sites like Expedia.
Myth: Travel advisors only book flights and hotels
Reality: We’re able to book with all kinds of partners like excursions, transportation, tours, villas, packages, cruises and more. We design immersive itineraries including things like cooking classes or a private wine tasting. We’re not just booking trips like an old school travel agent may have done, we’re crafting a whole travel experience.
Myth: Travel advisors only travel to the places they sell
Reality: While we travel often and rely on first hand knowledge, we also have a global network of vetted partners and destination specialists to deliver insider level recommendations. This allows us to create the perfectly crafted experience for you even if we have not personally stepped foot in that location.
Myth: It’s easier to plan it yourself
Reality: Sure, you can but when you’re working full time you barely have the time to craft a wellness routine let alone plan your next vacation that will cure your burn out. There’s nothing worse than choosing a destination or a hotel and realizing it wasn’t what you expected, or coming home saying I need another vacation from my vacation and jumping back into the everyday chaos of life. We give you that time and ease by doing it for you. Then if something were to go wrong, we’re also here to offer you real time support that you wouldn’t get on your own. Lost luggage, canceled flights, too full restaurants so you settle for mediocre food at best? We step in and provide you that support and a network of problem solvers saving both your vacation and your sanity.
You wouldn’t go to a hairdresser and have them look at your toothache would you? Would you go to your doctor and ask them for financial advice? I hope not.. It’s always best to rely on a specialist no matter what you’re looking for and that includes planning travel.
We’re here to help you whenever you’re ready. Click here for our services or send us a message!
Xo
Holly & Dylan
