Articles tagged “travel agents”

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.

With an influx of newcomers seeking careers as travel advisors, host agencies and consortiums are responding with new professional development options. Much of it emphasizes business skills, giving a reality check to those who view a travel career as an easy endeavor with lots of perks.

Ensemble Travel Group demonstrated a clear commitment at its 2019 International Conference by driving home the message that sustainability and climate change are the biggest issues facing the travel industry today. That the consortium took steps to offset the conference's own carbon footprint shows it's talking the talk.

Ensemble Travel's partnership with Cool Effect enables travel advisors to help clients offset their carbon footprint by donating to sustainability projects. It's a step that other travel agency groups should take as well.

Sustainable travel was the overriding theme at Ensemble Travel Group's 2019 International Conference, which CEO David Harris called the most important issue facing travel advisors and their clients. The importance of capturing sales data and strong alliances with travel industry organizations also emerged as top priorities.