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

Luxury Agents Try to Combine High-Level Service With Street-Level Experiences

Luxury travel advisors are experts at planning a five-star vacation for their clients, but agents are more frequently being asked to add a more local element to their plans. A lot of behind-the-scenes work goes into making sure these experiences go off without a hitch.

Paul Biasco | 8 years ago

Business Travel

Travel Advisors Are Selling Concierge Services — Just Don’t Call Them Fees

Consultant Nolan Burris is a pioneer in advocating that travel agencies charge service fees. Now that the practice has become standard, Burris says many agencies have failed to realize the revenue potential of service packages and need to overhaul their approach.

Maria Lenhart | 8 years ago

Business Travel

Travel Advisor Innovation Report Issue One: When a Job Feels Like Rock and Roll

The survivors of skirmishes past, from commission cuts to the perceived threats of the internet, have reinvented their businesses and thrive in a new landscape where personal touch still matters.

Maria Lenhart | 8 years ago

Business Travel

Tzell Travel Advisor Turned Eric Clapton and Pink Floyd Into Fans of Her Tour-Planning

As a travel advisor focusing on the entertainment industry, Amy Keeling has been practicing personalization for years, although not in the way the tech world thinks about it. Keeling has become an expert in ensuring comfort for her roster of rock bands as she learned their unique preferences over the last 25 years.

Paul Biasco | 8 years ago

Business Travel

Independents Day: ASTA and Subsidiary Forge Closer Relationship

The closer relationship between the American Society of Travel Advisors and its subsidiary, the renamed ASTA Small Business Network, promises greater visibility for independents with consumers. However, the real winner may be the parent organization, given the growing importance of the independent sector.

Maria Lenhart | 8 years ago

Business Travel

New Weekly Newsletter Travel Advisor Innovation Report Is Launching November 6

Whether you are a home-based travel advisor or you work in a large office servicing high-profile accounts, the Travel Advisor Innovation Report will have you covered with the trends, news and features you'll need to stay on top of an ever-changing marketplace.

Dennis Schaal | 8 years ago

Hotels

The Roadblocks Airbnb Must Tackle on Its Way to Possible IPO: Skift’s Latest Research

What is hurting Airbnb’s ability to see true success? Increasing regulation, the company’s potential impact on local housing markets and the traditional hotel sector, and the company’s increasing role in hospitality and accommodation distribution. In this report, we attack all three.

Rebecca Stone | 8 years ago

Business Travel

How Travel Agent Trade Group Fought Its Way Back From Near-Extinction

These travel advisors have a certain swagger about them these days. Their U.S. trade association, the newly named American Society of Travel Advisors, is now back among the living, and has the challenge of keeping things moving in the right direction.

Dennis Schaal | 8 years ago

Business Travel

Skift Global Forum Preview: Why Ovation Is Embarking on a New Elite Luxury Brand

Jack Ezon of Ovation’s leisure business is starting Embark, a luxury agency with an unusual business structure. In this Q&A, Ezon shares how agents can thrive in the digital era, the biggest problem facing the travel industry, and why he hires so many millennials.

Sean O'Neill | 8 years ago

Business Travel

Viator’s Travel Agent Program Gets Mixed Reviews

The market for off-the-beaten-path tours and experiences has been heating up this year with the emergence of Airbnb’s Experiences. TripAdvisor, which emphasizes on-the-beaten path offerings, is putting a huge effort into trying to stay on top. Its new travel agent program is part of that effort.

Paul Biasco | 8 years ago