Internet travel sites losing out to agents
Fewer travelers enjoy using the Web to plan and buy trips, according to a study by Forrester Research. So what does that mean for agents?
That may be bad news for Internet users but it’s helping to add to the attractiveness of the human contact.
"People are saying ‘I don’t understand my options, and I would like to talk to someone who can do all the searching and tell me what’s available,’ " said Henry Hartevelt, the analyst who wrote the Forrester study. He added:
"Major travel agencies have absolutely failed in their responsibility to innovate and think of creative new ways to help their customers shop."
Another study found 46 percent of US leisure travelers enjoyed using the Internet to book travel this year, down from 53 percent in 2007.
Here’s one description of online travel’s hang ups:
Travel sites are often flooded with overwhelming options, all claiming the best deals. There are also extra fees nestled into the fine print amid blaring advertisements. At times, users have to pound 16 digits into the telephone after they’ve booked the wrong flight before finally getting a human voice.
In 1995, there were 37,000 brick-and-mortar travel agencies, according to the American Society of Travel Agents. Now, only 18,000 exist after many merged or folded.
Travel agents don’t discount the value of online travel agencies, which can be useful for booking simple, short trips, but they say complex itineraries require more expertise from a professional.
Is on-line cheaper? The answer is often no.
Brick-and-mortar or work-at-home agents say they were able to offer deals at the same price as, and even undercut, the travel agent models, dispelling the belief that the cheapest rate is online.
by David Wilkening
David
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