Now – in the age of the Internet and the associated possibilities – there are countless other ways and means to book travel. In the Web the vacation reservation functions usually much faster and more uncomplicatedly – often even still around some more favorably than in the travel agency.
The number of those, who book their vacation on-line rises admittedly, however travel agencies offer still some advantages: Here one receives an individual consultation and it is easier to express special desires. We will explain the advantages and disadvantages of both booking options.
Comfortable booking without stress and hassle
Often our everyday life is marked by stress and hecticness. That’s why very few people feel like spending their free time after work waiting in a travel agency. You can book your holidays conveniently from home or from anywhere via the Internet. It is available to all people around the clock. Here you don’t have to stick to opening hours or make an appointment.
#1 Broad market overview
Due to the multimedia nature of the Internet, you can obtain comprehensive information about the desired holiday destination in advance. You can look at potential hotels in peace on various photos and videos and read reviews of the guests. The exact location of the hotel can be displayed comfortably and in a matter of seconds via Google Maps. That brings a clear increase in value with itself.
#2 Favourable prices
As a rule, holiday offers on the Internet are cheaper, as there are no personnel costs for travel agency employees. Also commissions, which are added to the travel price in the travel agency, are void with on-line reservation. The more favorable prices in the Web come however also from the fact that one has here access to a much larger offer selection. More comparison possibilities mean always a price saving.
The advantages in the travel agency
Although the number of online bookings has increased in recent years, the travel agency has not yet lost its raison d’être. Many people still book their holidays there. The German Travel Association was able to prove with an analysis that the approximately 11,400 German travel agencies were even able to increase their turnover in 2012 by 1.5 percent.
#1 Comprehensive advice
Above all inexperienced travelers benefit from the extensive consultation in a travel agency. The employees usually have a good background knowledge about the desired holiday region and the hotels. In addition travel agencies offer their customers a complete package with everything, which belongs to the travel planning to their customers:
One receives this information in the Internet – if at all – only very scattered and one must it it only once time-intensively together-search.
Seriousness
One of the most important advantages in a travel agency is seriousness. As a rule, travel agencies only work with honest and customer-oriented tour operators. Thus, the risk of falling for dubious tour operators is rather low here, while this risk is much higher on the Internet. At the travel agency, customers can be sure that they will end up getting the service they paid for.
Disadvantages
The commission, which is added to the travel price, is the biggest disadvantage when booking in a travel agency. In addition, it is not possible to book the trip in every travel agency in a competent and independent manner. In a travel agency, there can also be misunderstandings between the customer and the employee, which may have consequences for the booked trip.
The worst thing that can happen when booking on the Internet is to fall for online fraudsters, who still exist like sand on the sea. These are people who do not sell trips at all, but simply want to pull money out of people’s pockets. In addition, there are providers who deliberately conceal certain costs and subsequently charge for services that were not provided during the trip.
Bottom line
Both the travel agency and the Internet offer advantages and disadvantages. Most people book on the Internet because they think they will get a cheaper price there. Especially for package holidays, the price differences between the Internet and the travel agency are small, because the data often come from the same source. The Internet is therefore more likely to be used to buy individual services, such as airline tickets or hotels. If people are looking for a package holiday, they go to a travel agency because they get better advice there.
If you want to get a cheap offer, you should always compare the costs of several providers on the Internet. Some tour operators, which may be cheaper, are not always offered in travel agencies either.
The reason: If travel agencies sell many trips of a single tour operator, they get to a higher commission level. Therefore, it is best to ask again and again whether there is not a cheaper tour operator. In addition, almost every travel agency now has an online presence, including DER.COM, for example.