Travel Agents

This extensive archive provides up-to-date news, trends, and insights relevant to travel agents, including travel advisors, travel agencies, at-home agents, and firms of all sizes.

Designed for professionals working in the travel industry, these news stories offer valuable information on the evolving landscape of travel services and distribution channels.

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Stay informed about the latest developments affecting travel advisors, from technology advancements to client relations and best practices and gain insights into the growing importance of personalized service and how advisors are adapting to the changing demands of their clientele in a competitive market.

Business Travel

Travel Advisors Tap Into Lucrative Destination Weddings Driven by Immigrants

South Asian destination weddings, which involve large groups and multi-night stays, are big business for a growing number of resorts and travel advisors. Succeeding in the niche requires a marriage of cultural knowledge and logistical skill.

Maria Lenhart | 6 years ago

Business Travel

Travel Advisors Find South Asian Destination Weddings Very Lucrative But Tough

South Asian destination weddings are a lucrative and growing travel niche, fueled by demand from affluent Indian immigrant communities in North America. However, travel advisors need to be prepared for complex challenges.

Maria Lenhart | 6 years ago

Business Travel

Adventure Travel Specialists Take Customers Beyond the Beach

Adventure travel is a booming niche that many agencies would be wise to take on. Given the trends for retirees to live longer and healthier lives and for millennials to search for unique experiences, this segment of the travel market is just getting started.

Paul Biasco | 6 years ago

Business Travel

Travel Advisors Resist Rivals' Direct-Booking Efforts

As one travel advisor told us about the Costco and state tax proposal flaps: “The little guys can fight back.”

Maria Lenhart | 6 years ago

Business Travel

Four Seasons and Costco Direct-Booking Efforts Irk Travel Advisors

A recent Today Show segment touting Costco Travel is riling ASTA, as are Four Seasons ads on Facebook promising perks for direct bookings. Travel advisors are irked as well, but are finding ways to hold their own.

Maria Lenhart | 6 years ago

Business Travel

Would Tax Law Proposals Kill Travel Agencies in Some States?

As states look for new sources of tax revenue in the service-driven economy, businesses like travel agencies are viewed as likely targets. Part of the problem is ignorance among legislators of how agencies operate and why added taxes would be devastating for many.

Maria Lenhart | 6 years ago

Business Travel

Overtourism Has Travel Advisors Telling Their Customers to Please Go Somewhere Else

While everyone has heard horror stories of overcrowded destinations, hostile locals, and lining up for hours for a glimpse of a tourist attraction, travel advisors are still faced with requests to visit the world’s most popular places. They have a dilemma: Do they make the booking or risk losing the business by recommending alternatives?

Allan Leibowitz | 6 years ago

Business Travel

Hispanic-Owned Travel Agency Emphasizes Trust as Key Selling Point

Express Travel, a travel agency serving a largely Hispanic customer base, has built an extensive clientele over the past 30 years. Relationships, community involvement, and intimate awareness of how its clients like to travel have a lot to do with its success.

Maria Lenhart | 6 years ago

Business Travel

Travel Advisors Think Mexico Is Hurting Its Own Tourism Prospects

The announced closures of the Mexico Tourism Board offices make little sense to travel advisors who sell the destination. Already challenged to convince some clients about the destination's safety, they say the timing couldn't be worse.

Maria Lenhart | 6 years ago

Business Travel

Home-Based Travel Advisors Use These Tricks for Sanity and Productivity

Running a home-based travel agency is not without its challenges, including isolation, getting motivated, and keeping work and personal life from colliding. Fortunately, there is plenty of support, including from industry peers, to help the process.

Maria Lenhart | 6 years ago