Why You NEED A Travel Advisor NOW!

Since the early days of recreational travel, travel agents who worked in a travel agency have been helping the public plan and book amazing vacations worldwide. They were Disney travel agents, Marriott travel agents and others. In the “good old days,” your travel agent or travel consultant was a trusted ally in your circle who most-likely worked in a tour agency - much like your family attorney, doctor or accountant. Your travel agent sent you a card on holidays and your birthday, and always kept you alert to new specials and emerging destinations to visit. They would throw get togethers and invite you to view slides from one of their client’s recent vacations. In short, they were your personal inspirational motivator of exploration. (I like the sound of that!)

Today, the business is still thriving, but as generations passed, the idea of the family travel agent has gone by way of the polaroid camera. Technology has evolved, the travel industry has evolved and we, the general public, don’t understand the value of a trust travel agent. But I’d like to help fix that. 
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The American Society of Travel Agents was founded in 1931 as the American Steamship and Tourist Agents Association. Over the years, the organization has changed it’s official title on several occasions. In 2018, it officially changed its name to the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). And while this name change is minor, it’s significance is the signal of a major shift in how the traveling public plan, book and take much-needed time away. 

Recently, I was able to speak with Erika Richter, Communications Director for ASTA, about why, in her association’s opinion, we need a travel advisor. You’ll find the transcript from our conversation below (edited for space and clarity). 

In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve had a trusted, qualified travel advisor since 2004 and I am so glad I do. If you don’t have one, feel free to give mine a call. Her name is Melissa Speerstra and she is the Official Erik The Travel Guy “Travel Guru”. You’re in good hands with Melissa, and, as you’ll read below, you’re in good hands with thousands of other qualified, certified travel advisors as well...

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Erik: Thank you for joining me...did I get the new name of the organization correct? 

Erika:
That's right. We are the association that represents travel advisors and the traveling public.

Erik:
Well, and I think we should start with that first because travel advisors - and why we actually need one - is a great topic. It's something that we talk about in the office, we talk about on the television show, we talk about on the podcast all the time, but talk about getting it straight from the, oh no, the horse’s mouth, Erika, and you have a great name by the way. What is a travel advisor? Can we start there?

Erika:
Well, I think it's important to note that we changed our name from the American Society of Travel Agents in 2018, so we're travel advisors now and the stance is official. That name change wasn't just a simple adjustment in nomenclature. Actually, it really does mark the transformation of the travel industries core transactional agent to a more holistic advisor. So today's travel advisor is really a reflection of a dramatic sea change in the industry and a reawakening of what it means to be a travel professional.

Erik:
Well, I liked that because again, some people certainly today until this name really gets into our lexicon, people say, "Do I need a travel agent? Do I need ... " So they use that word agent because that's what we called them for quite some time, and that was sort of in the industry, that's what we called that group of people, those dedicated professionals that knew what they were talking about, qualified people who really were destination experts and travel experts in how to do especially larger trips. But so again, we can use the term interchangeably, but we also want to make sure that people understand you're going to see that word and that phrase used more often, right?

Erika:
Absolutely. It's travel advisor today, and it's travel advisor always.

Erik:
Got it.

Erika:
At its surface, the difference between a travel agent and a travel advisor is nothing more than subtle semantics, but it's actually a significant development because the gravitation toward the use of advisor hinges on the exact role the travel professional now plays for the clients. We're moving away from the transactional middleman and towards a more collaborative hands on process between an advisor and a client, similar to that of a financial advisor. If time is money, then travel advisors are really asset managers. Travel is a lifestyle choice now for many people, and they do want, these new travelers who are making travel a lifestyle, want an advisor, a stylist, a designer, somebody that they can call day and night to help them craft not just the next journey but the journey of their lives.


Erik:
Erika, I think you have done this before, because that was so eloquent and perfect. I mean seriously, how many pages online are dedicated to travel? Now everyday people who are busy - they work and have lives and have responsibilities - they start thinking, "Oh my gosh, I want to get away”, that’s the start. But decoding their needs and deconstructing it and figuring out how to do it is well, can be dizzying, and that's where the travel advisor slides right into place to say, "No problem, I have some questions for you. What can I help you plan? What can I help you do? What are you trying to achieve?" And I think that's a really interesting point. Can a travel advisor book and or advise on any subject matter or are they broken up into different types of advisors?

Erika:
The answer is yes to both. The travel advisor is the person that helps a traveler with all of their travel needs. People crave personalized experiences, not canned tourism. That is the shift in the industry. So while the internet may have democratized the exchange of information of certain locales and really allowed travelers the ability to nail down hotel rooms with ease, but with so many options at their fingertips, consumers increasingly are relying on travel advisors to be judicious about their choices. Travelers want specialized guidance from advisors, so that they're avoiding the dud hotels and sidestepping the mediocre restaurants and planning their trip beyond the bucket list and really avoiding some of those pricey tourist traps…

There are travel advisors that are destination specialists, and there are travel advisors that are cruise specialists. We are seeing more often that travel advisors are becoming specialists in certain types of travel, and that's really reflective of how the world is becoming a more connected place. Travelers are looking to explore further and further and expand their horizons broader and broader, and travel advisors are really honing in on that by becoming specialists in certain types of travel in certain destinations that they can really provide that in depth expertise for their clients.

Erik:
Well obviously this leads us to a logical question - are travel advisors expensive?

Erika:
There is definitely this common misconception that travel advisors charge fees and some of them do and some of them don't. It really depends on the trip, the complexity of the trip, how much planning is going into it, but you're getting that money back because advisors add value that you wouldn't be able to add yourself. I always say you can't VIP yourself, some of us might think that we can. But because travel advisors work in larger consortia groups, they have buying power that you don't have on your own. So because of that buying power, travel advisors can offer things like free upgrade if they're available, free breakfast, spa credits, late checkout, free Wi-Fi, and that's just a sampling of things that you can get when you work with a travel advisor. So even if you are paying a $25 planning fee, if you add up all the amenities and perks that a travel advisor can provide, that's certainly worth the value.

Erik:
You mentioned this sort of arbitrary $25 fee, but it could be any fee - a planning fee, or some advisors call it different things, but I think it's really important to note if I have my research right, one of the reasons that an advisor might actually say, "Yes we charge a $50 or a $25 a $100 planning fee” because you the consumer have a lot of questions, long before you ever take this trip, and we have to guarantee, to the best of our abilities, that you're not a consumer just sort of “kicking the tires.” Saying, "Oh, I'm going to go," but then never end up using that agent again. Because the travel advisor’s time is valuable, of course. Do I have that right?

Erika:
You have that exactly right. Also, travel advisors have relationships that would take you a lifetime to build, and by working with a travel advisor, you're getting access to those relationships and there's value there. I also think it's hilarious that people want authentic and unique experiences, so they'd go to the internet and they spend hours in a black hole of verified reviews and I use that term with heavy air quotes.

Erik:
I love the air quotes.

Erika:
We all know that bots troll those review sites, but then people ultimately go to Google and then decide to go somewhere and do something that 5,000 of their best friends online posted pictures about. At that point, is it really authentic and unique?

Erik:
No.

Erika:
When thousands of people - thousands of people you don't know, are telling you it is.

Erik:
Yeah. Again, I'm so glad you mentioned that - sure user reviews aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but is it a parameter? Is it something that you should check into? Sure. But at the same time, take it with a grain of salt. We’re talking about millions of reviews spread across all different platforms. It is nauseating and dizzying just to think about whether or not you would be booking a trip based on someone else's good or bad review or both.

Erika:
Wouldn’t you rather talk to somebody who's been there and not only who's been there, but who's done that? And not only just done that, but who knows a guy who knows a guy who can help you get exactly what you're looking for.

Erik:
I think that that is really the travel advisor’s secret weapon, too. Depending upon whom you're talking to, advisors don't have any steak in the game, in terms of your vacation. You call them and say, "I watched an episode of Beyond Your Backyard with that crazy guy, Erik the Travel Guy. We loved him, and we want to go to Iceland." Well, if that advisor isn't an expert on Iceland, that advisor would go, "Oh, you know what? You need to talk to my colleague over here, because they are my Iceland expert. Let me get them on the horn, and you guys work it out." They have access to all of this specific information within their own community.

Erika:
Exactly. And it's also important to remember that travel advisors are fiduciaries, so they have your best interest in mind. They also have a lot of relationships and can help steer you in the right direction because oftentimes people aren't really thinking about things like "Is it peak travel season and what are my flights that I'd have to make once I get to the destination within that country? How does that timetable line up with all the other activities that I want to do and am I trying to accomplish too much?" This is really where a travel advisor comes in and says, "Okay, let me help you with this." It can be as hands on as you want them to be, but they're your person for the duration of your planning adventure. There are people who have travel advisors on retainers for that reason.

Erik:
Well, I think that's a really good point. In reality, a travel advisor has access to inventory that is not available online - depending on who you're working with, and who the agent works with, of course. They're a little different here and there, but do I understand that correctly? Do advisors have access to different packages or perhaps better deals? I mean not everything is driven by price, but let's face it, we want value for the dollars we spend. Is that correct?

Erika:
That is absolutely correct, and that's why many of the travel suppliers have dedicated departments of their company specifically for travel advisors. They'll have logins and portals just for travel advisors and support teams just for travel advisors. There is that back end connection that travel advisors have to many of the major contemporary brands and even off the beaten path brands that people are looking to book. Now if something goes wrong, you have a personal assistant on speed dial, so why wait in an endless line at the ticket counter when your travel advisor can rebook you seamlessly. They'll take care of all that other stuff too, like finding your bags and dealing with the airline credit. The dedicated access to booking systems with suppliers is like having a personal rep escort you to the front of the line without even having to blink an eye. And that's invaluable.

Erik:
While we’re on this topic, if I’m not mistaken, many travel advisors also work in a consortium or umbrella organization of some sort that buys up hotel room and cruise cabin inventory in bulk because they have buying power. The larger the organization, the better buying power and cheaper the rate, which means the savings may be passed on to you. And again, a lot of that is simply not available to us as we go online looking for things. Is that correct?

Erika:
Yes, exactly. You're preaching to the choir here and what we have found is that some travelers out there, they're not necessarily against travel advisors, they're just kind of agnostic about them. We want to get them into the pews and make them believers.

Erik:
I agree.

Erika:
They need to understand that it's not just about the money, it's about the VALUE. But taking that a step further, people also need to understand that a travel advisor can even provide a payment plan, that the final bill doesn't sting as much and it can be spread across a few paychecks. They have that ability to do that because of the relationships and the buying power that they have with certain suppliers and because it's their job to make sure that they're making the process seamless for you. So, just something to consider as well.

Erik:
No, it is, and I think the public today understands that you don’t need a travel advisor to book an airline ticket from New York to Dallas...

Erika:
No.

Erik:
But, why not? Because that inventory is what it is and you're perfectly capable of doing so on your own? An advisor can help you by saying, "Did you think about this? And did you think about that?" I think what we're really talking about here are vacations of any duration - a long weekend to a month long trip - where a viewer or listener can't afford to get ANYTHING wrong. That's really what we're working with here. Right?

Erika:
Exactly, exactly.

Erik:
I see. Well, again, we’ll definitely need to have a followup conversation on this topic. In particular, I wanted to talk with you about Costco and Sam's Club and other membership-based companies and their travel advisors. We need to do that on a different day. Would you mind coming back?

Erika:
My favorite topic. You have to invite me back, but I'll say one thing, and this is probably the most important thing that we end the conversation with.

Erik:
Oh no, I hope it's on a high note.

Erika:
Yes, yes, yes. It is a high note and it's important too, because people might be asking, "Well, how do I find a travel advisor? How do I find the right one?"

Erik:
Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to know.

Erika:
The most important thing is to make sure that when you're working with a travel advisor, that they're a member of the American Society of Travel Advisors. That's the quickest way to make sure they're truly professional. We protect travelers by making sure our travel advisors adhere to strict ethical guidelines, so if something happens between a member of our association and the traveler, we can step in. The best way to find a verified travel advisor by the American Society of Travel Advisors is to search our public directory at TravelSense.org, TravelSense, S-E-N-S-E, it just makes sense, TravelSense.org. You can submit your trip quotes and find an advisor based on destination and experience, but what you're doing by going to that site, TravelSense.org, is you're automatically working with a professional that takes their job seriously. You always got to look for that when you're choosing to work with an advisor.

Erik:
Well, I'm glad you mentioned that and you may not be prepared to answer this question, but what percentage of travel advisors in this country alone are NOT members of the Association? Do you guys know that? Do you track that? 

Erika:
I wish I had that. I wish I could say 100% are members of ASTA, but we are seeing a tremendous amount of growth in our industry too. There are many people who are becoming travel advisors from other careers. The exact percentage, I don't have for you, but our goal is always and will always be to make sure that every travel advisor in the US is a member of our association.

Erik:
So you vet each advisor, you take care of them and help them do a phenomenal job and then hold them to standards if they become a member. I do appreciate that because the last thing we want is to have somebody have a bad experience on their vacation or with using a vacation advisor. I’m curious, when you're looking for an advisor, does it help to have an advisor that lives or works in and around the same region that you do?

Erika:
That can be helpful because a face to face is sometimes what a traveler needs to feel confident and comfortable with the person that they're trusting with their vacation time. There are many storefronts, travel agency store fronts out there. The storefront agency model is coming back in a big way, and it's so exciting for me to talk about because these storefronts are really becoming a gathering place for all things travel. I love seeing the brick and mortar come back, and there are many that never went away too. It's all about making sure that you feel comfortable with the process, and that can look a number of different ways. But I'm also a proponent of having a local travel advisor that you can pop in and work with face to face. I'm also a proponent of making sure that you're finding the best fit based on the destination and the type of experience you want to have.

Erik:
I guess the only reason I mention that is because of course there aren't a lot of nuances in individual regions per se. But I mean, somebody who understands if you're a Southern California person, maybe somebody in Toronto may not necessarily understand every little nuance about Southern Cal. Who knows? The point is, it doesn't matter, but it certainly can't hurt to have somebody you can sit down with and have a cup of coffee and say, "This is what I'm thinking"... All right, well we're going to save membership clubs for our return conversation because I think it is a conversation that's worth having. We're certainly seeing a lot of press on that and that is something that I'd like to discuss in a future conversation. You cool with that?

Erika:
Well, you have to invite me back for that to happen.

Erik:
You have a standing invitation on this podcast, on the television series, everything that we do. Again, we're huge travel advisor people. We are, because again, we don't particularly care where listeners go as long as they actually GO there. Sometimes trips can be a little more complex or they might look easy, and if you're not getting the most out of those trips, then why are you going anyway?

Erika:
Exactly.

Erik:
It's just a big thing to us and certainly to me. It fits with my mission, and so the fact that you and I are having this initial conversation today is a step in the right direction. I like that, and you absolutely can come back anytime.

Erika:
Great. Thanks for having me, Erik.

Erik:
Absolutely. And I love your name, let's be honest.

Erika:
I like the way you spell your name.

Erik:
See, now we're talking. I love the Norwegians. We've got to stick together. Erika Richter, thanks so much for joining us.

Erika:
Thanks for having me.

Before you book your next trip, reach out to a certified ASTA travel advisor and notice the difference a certified travel professional makes. To contact the Erik The Travel Guy official travel Guru, the great Marissa Steerstra, email her directly at melissa@erikthetravelguy.com.

Happy Travels!
Erik

About The Author
Erik Hastings, a.k.a. Erik the Travel Guy is an EMMY award-winning television personality who speaks directly to consumers who can't afford to "get their vacations wrong". He is the host and managing editor of the internationally syndicated television series "Beyond Your Backyard" for public broadcasting stations (PBS) and other networks/VOD platforms. Erik leads an incredibly talented team of industry pros and is the editorial driving force of his platform. While the travel industry directly supports millions of families worldwide, Erik believes travel makes the world a better place. Through exploration and discovery, he has learned that travel brings cultures together and he eagerly shares that spirit with his viewers.

Read Erik's Full Bio
TV Series: Beyond Your Backyard
TV Series: Beyond Travel
Audio: His Podcast