Expedia Cruises News & Blog

In the age of smartphones, tablets and easy accessibility to the Internet; booking travel isn t the same as it used to be. In fact, with the number of options available online and the ability for people to make their own travel arrangements, many believe that travel agents are no longer essential in the vacation planning process. This however is not the case! See below for 4 reasons why travel agents like our Vacation Consultants are still in demand:

Professional Expertise - While the internet can be a good starting point for planning your dream vacation, it does not offer the industry knowledge, personal experience, and exclusive offers a travel agent can provide. That s why 85% of travelers will research online but will ultimately book with an agent when the cost and complexity of their vacation is significant.

Best Value - A key benefit of working with a travel agent is that not only are they often able to secure better fares but they also add value to your vacation. They can save you hours of stressful research and review reading by asking you a few simple questions about what kind of vacation you re looking for and guiding you in the right direction with their industry knowledge. Plus, thanks to our massive buying power, our clients often receive other exclusive extras like bonus onboard cash credits, stateroom upgrades, reduced deposits and more!

Time Savings - According to findings from the Value of Travel Agents study by the American Society of Travel Agents, over half of Millennial (59%), Xer (53%) and Boomer (58%) leisure travelers who used travel agents believe that vacations planned with travel agents were better than those organized without their assistance (2014). Vetting through the thousands of choices out there can take hours, even days to sift through! As industry experts, travel agents are trained to know the vacation product well. They can save you time on extensive research and give you the peace of mind that your trip has been planned by a professional.

Personal Relationship - Our retail travel agency model provides an opportunity for our Vacation Consultants to get to know their customers and build a relationship where they can provide them with the best service for their needs. Our Vacation Consultants take pride in making dream vacations come true for travelers in their community and the retail space provided by an Expedia Cruises franchise allows them to connect with clients on a more personal level.

At Expedia Cruises, we provide the right training and support to ensure our agents provide the best sales service. Click "Our Opportunity" above to learn more about becoming a travel agent with Expedia Cruises.