Although selecting a travel agency depends on the personal choices such as financial conditions, lifestyles, and other requirements, here, I would like to share my personal experience and highlight the couple of things one should consider before choosing the right travel agencies.
- I generally take advice from my friends or relatives while choosing a particular travel agency.
- Whenever I have time, I visit the several agencies or sometimes call them and select one of them that suits best to my desire.
- Sometimes, the appearance of travel agent’s office, their willingness and answer to my queries help me to decide whether I should go with them.
Travel agencies and travel agents are basically the service providers to ensure you’re travelling hassle free and a good travel agent is the one who works to maintain a long-term relationship with their client.
Various purpose serves by the travel agency:
- Comprehensive details of particular service related to travel such as passport, visa requirements, inoculation procedures and any other foreign travel requirements.
- provide accommodation along with transportation
- avail air passes and around the world tickets
- Take care of your specific needs and personalization options such as seating preference, veg or non-veg designation and other lifestyle preferences.
- Take care of your travel insurance plans
- Make your journey hassle free especially when you are travelling to restricted countries.
Factor should be taken care of while choosing a Travel Agency
Being a customer, the most important thing for me is the way the staff of the travel agency deal with my request and queries .If it is the email, then how they reply for my queries and provide information regarding the trip and how quick they reply for my mails. For me, the first impression is the last impression. If staff doesn’t behave well and supportive, I probably will not go with that agency in the future regardless of all other factors. I, generally, check the review of other travellers while choosing a travel agency. Other factors you should consider are following:
1. Good Relationship
The Travel agency should have a membership and a good network of other travel agencies, hotels, airlines, cruise lines, and car rental companies so that they can provide better services at lowest possible cost.
2. Quality service
Travel agents should be able to take care of pro-consumer issues such as travel safety, bankruptcy etc. They should be hardworking and dedicated to providing you with a quality service during your whole journey.
3. Travel agents should be certified
Travel agents should be properly trained in travel or tourism or should be Certified Travel Counsellors (CTC). Travel agency should have extensive experience in their field. Experienced
Agency takes care of all age group, they know about the preference of all the age group, top destinations. They are perfectly trained and can handle you’re all queries in a better way. They will provide you with all information about your destination without being prompted.
4. Licence holder and Payment method
Along with a good experience, travel agency should be the license holder. Probably, it is very difficult to find out whether the agency is holding the licence or not. But you can find out by their legal status such as the payment system, whether their payment system is secure or not, whether they send you confirmation of the booking and original receipt of the payment. You can check online travel forums and read people’s reviews about the tour operator.
5. Provide flexibility
When you choose a travel agency, you have to schedule your routine according to them. Some people find it very hectic like a military training as every activity is timed. Good tour operator should provide some personal space and time for the travellers and should provide a range of restaurants where they can go and fill their stomach according to their choice.
6. Well-mannered and experienced tour guide
The travel agency should provide a well-mannered, well- behaved tour guide who can quickly answer your queries and who is well informed about the geography of the place, can provide you all information about the geography, history and culture of your destination, can provide you information about all shopping sites. Although it is inconceivable for travel agency not to have a tour guide, he/she (tour guide) should provide proper personal space to travellers and should be accessible where they are needed.
7. Examine your Package deals for proper accommodation, food and number of sightseeing trips
It is quite obvious that you will choose the travel agency with good package deals, but before finalizing it, examine your travel brochures properly and make sure that you will be provided with a proper accommodation, check the location of the accommodation over the internet, it should be located in the safe area. Good Travel agency should properly disclose all information about the package including accommodation, food and number of sightseeing trips.
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