Articles tagged “travel agents”

On the Beach's purchase of Classic Collection Holidays now looks like a strategic masterstroke in light of the collapse of Thomas Cook. Brick-and-mortar travel agents in the United Kingdom lost a holiday supplier, and the company has a ready-made alternative on offer.

With one of the biggest names in UK travel exiting the market, there's space for other travel firms to pick up some of the travel demand. It's not going to be easy with plenty of Brexit uncertainty in the market as well as lots of competition.

After several years of historic wildfires, California has to take a hard look at the future of tourism in its wine regions and mountain resort communities. The fires have exacerbated problems such as a lack of affordable workforce housing.

Several years of devastating wildfires have taken a toll on California tourism but have not affected overall visitor numbers. Instead, the fires have changed the way the state markets itself and made it harder for tourism employees to live in California.

Airlines Reporting Corporation's expansion into providing services around direct bookings is intriguing. We'll be watching how it handles the challenge without vexing the travel agencies that will remain its core customer.

Storefront travel agencies may be fewer in number these days, but some are finding success by reinventing themselves as social hubs for their local communities. With imaginative decor and amenities, these agencies are drawing in customers who had previously been unaware of the value of using a travel advisor.

Travel agencies are thriving by replacing offices with lounges, complete with drinks and parties. By setting up shopfronts on busy streets, they’re also convincing travelers that they still exist.

By guiding clients toward responsible choices in how and where they travel, travel advisors can play a key part in promoting sustainable tourism. Not only do local communities benefit, but visitors come away with more meaningful experiences.

While it's more obvious that hotels, airlines, and cruise lines have a big impact on sustainable tourism, travel advisors wield influence too. How they guide clients in the choices they make has ramifications for the health of the travel industry, as well as for the planet.

A surge of newcomers are setting up shop as travel advisors — with some of them unprepared for the realities of the job. Host agencies and consortiums are ramping up efforts to give them the education they need.