Articles tagged “travel agents”

Virtuoso Travel Week drew record attendance to the annual event it likens to Fashion Week. While heavily touting the consortium's new Wanderlist travel planning tool, it also emphasized the human touch.

Cultural tours to communities of color involve many parties: travel advisors, tour operators, service providers, travelers themselves, and more. So who's responsible for making sure that a trip to an indigenous community or a historically black neighborhood is carried out ethically?

While the cruise industry's dismal record on sustainability hasn't yet sparked concern among most cruise passengers or inspired major changes, small cruise operators are stepping up their game on green practices.

There hasn’t been much backlash after Carnival Corp. copped a guilty plea and a $20 million fine for polluting the ocean, but some smaller cruise operators are pushing their green credentials in the hope of differentiating themselves.

Highly publicized incidents and policy changes surrounding some of the Caribbean's most popular destinations are putting a snafu in travel plans. As always, travel advisors need to roll with the punches and find workable alternatives for clients.

A proliferation of women-only tours reflects the fact that women are a driving force behind the trend for experiential and adventure-oriented travel. The tours enable participants to interact with women from cultures far different than their own.

The travel advisor sector is in the midst of a transformative shift as industry practitioners try to reinvent their role for the digital age. How is the travel advisor sector evolving in the face of this challenge? And how will the changes impact advisors’ relationship with suppliers like hotels? We investigate these questions and much more in this new report.

The proliferation of resort fees even at non-resort hotels is creating an extra layer of responsibility for travel advisors. Along with ensuring that their clients are aware of the charges, many are also recommending alternative hotels.

Not only are resort fees an annoyance for hotel guests, but they put the onus on travel advisors to make sure clients are aware of what their stay will actually cost. Some advisors are fighting back by steering clients toward properties that don't charge the fees.

While the growth of international visitation to the U.S. is slowing, travel advisors see rising interest among Americans in exploring their own country, often in new ways. Cultural itineraries exploring everything from civil rights history to regional culinary specialties are on the agenda.