“Do people still use travel agents?”

It’s a question I hear often, and my answer is always the same…

ABSOLUTELY! At least, the smart ones do.

While the internet is full of information about every destination under the sun and there you will find a multitude of web sites dedicated to allowing you to book your vacations yourself, travel professionals still provide a valuable service for today’s savvy vacationers.

A quick Google search will put hundreds, if not thousands, of articles, blog posts, reviews, trip reports, photos and more at your fingertips. It can be more than a bit overwhelming to say the least!

How do you know what information is up to date and correct? Can you be sure those reviews are accurate and unbiased? Are those photos current and unedited? Are the reviews legit?

And if you’ve ever said to yourself that you would never book with a travel agent because you prefer to do it all yourself, let me fill in on a little secret…

The web sites you are using to search for the best price? They are all travel agencies.

Not only that, they typically have more restrictions and fees than working with a personal travel advisor should you need to make a change or cancel your vacation unexpectedly.

And then there is the issue of customer service, or in the case of many of these big online agencies, “customer no-service.”

Take a moment and compare the cancellation policies of your favorite travel discount website with those of the airline or resort directly. You will usually find them to be rather unforgiving. When you work with a travel professional, we typically have multiple travel partners we can use to customize your vacation, and we will take their cancellation and change policies into consideration in selecting the best option for your family.

And what about payments? Most of the time you will need to pay for your vacation in full when you book with an online discounter. A travel agent will be able to book your trip with a deposit and in many cases will allow you to make multiple payments on your vacation if you’d like to spread the cost out before you travel.

As a travel professional, I work with my clients providing them with top-notch service from the time they reach out to me until well after they return from their vacations.

I take the time to listen to their vacation wants, needs and expectations. I get to know them. I ask lots of questions to help make sure that the recommendations I make are right for them.

Sure, some of my clients come to me knowing exactly what they want down to the specific details, but more often than not, what they’ve found either isn’t the right option to meet their expectations, or it isn’t the best value for their hard-earned vacation dollars. I am able to use my personal experience and vast industry network to recommend options tailor-made to meet their wants, needs, expectations, and budget.

Once we’ve found the perfect destination for them, I make sure that the options that go into their itinerary are the best value for their budget. I’ve spent years cultivating a network of relationships within the travel industry, and as a result, I am often able to secure additional perks or upgrades for my clients that they would not have been aware of had they planned their vacation themselves.

The services of a travel professional don’t end once you book your vacation. In fact, that’s often where the essential services begin.

It’s often the small details that make the difference between a good vacation and a well-planned, well-executed, outstanding vacation. Knowing that all of those little details are taken care of and have been double and triple checked by a professional means you can relax and enjoy your time knowing everything is taken care of for you.

You can also relax knowing that if anything should go wrong, you’ve got a professional in your corner helping to solve any problems and advocate for you should the need arise.

Whether it’s transportation delays or an issue at your resort, you need only contact me, and I will be working behind the scenes to resolve the situation. Because of my connections and the resources available through my travel partners, I can often facilitate a resolution sooner than you might expect.

Working with a travel professional is like having a personal concierge dedicated to ensuring that your vacation is expertly planned and customized to your family’s unique expectations. Allowing someone else to take care of the details and eliminate the stress and overwhelm of planning is a luxury you deserve to experience.

Planning the perfect experience begins with scheduling your personalized family vacation planning session with me. When you click this link, you will be taken directly to my digital calendar to schedule a time that is convenient for you.

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