A profession very much in transition thanks to the Internet - and now, increasingly, artificial intelligence - travel's front-line retailers are some of the most knowledgeable folks in the industry. Here's a place to exchange views about issues, destinations, and more!

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Turkey on a Budget: An Unforgettable Adventure for Less

Turkey, the land where East meets West, is a beautiful country with a rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning landscapes. With its numerous ancient sites, delicious cuisine, and friendly locals, it's no wonder that Turkey is a popular travel destination. However, visiting this beautiful country doesn't have to break the bank. In this blog post, we'll explore how you can experience the best of Turkey on a budget. One Nation provides top-notch Turkey tour packages designed to cater to every…

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Everest Helicopter tour

We need to wake up early morning in Kathmandu, Drive to the domestic airport one hour before flying hours, Boundless Adventure will inform you a day before that you are going on a Helicopter tour for three to four hours. Helicopter Landing at the Kalapathar with officer and board the Everest tour by Helicopter.Max four hours Itinerary with the officer.Phase=1=Fly from Kathmandu – Lukla (fueling in Lula and take off to Pheriche) 5/10 minutes landing.Phase=2=Fly to Pheriche and landing for the…

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SEO for travel industry companies & individuals

scyther5 As a travel company - whether you're a tour operator, travel agent, hotel, transportation provider, destination management company, or whatever - or  you are certainly wondering how you can get the most out of search-engine optimization. With a well thought out SEO strategy, you can win over users. In addition, they rank higher in Google searches, which generates additional traffic. Search-engine optimization (SEO) basically includes all measures that help to improve the ranking of…

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5 of the most effective social-media sites for travel agencies

Allowing customers currently traveling to include their comments on a travel agent's social media site allows the travel agent to know right away what is happening. This has a number of benefits that allow the travel agent to: • Make any changes needed if it's a negative comment.. • Send the message to all viewers about the great experience the customer had if it's positive. • Better know what their customers want. An agent can improve customer service immediately and come out ahead of…

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  • Yes, the article on internet online booking, i.e., Expedia and Orbitz, in particular really came into focus last week for two separate clients who came into the office due to horror stories and problems. They wanted us to "fix" their tickets and get money back from them. Since we didn't do the ticketing, we told them we couldn't change things for them - one wanted a return ticket changed and the other needed intervention because her daughter's ticket was messed up and she wanted help to fix it. I did call on the one ticket to see if Expedia would help at all because the client, although she had her son do this ticket, had been (and is) a client of the office. Expedia would change the ticket at a cost to her of $650+, she opted not to do it. We gave the other client ideas and suggestions of how she should approach Orbitz for a change. She opted to try to make her own changes and found out that she could not and she didn't use our ideas either. Clients are very slowly beginning to listen but they still get upset when the travel agent won't "fix" their errors. ("What??? you charge for assistance or a fee to book tickets????"). It is interesting to see how things pan out on different problems.
  • I am very excited about this site and am looking forward to participating.
    I have noticed clients are looking for the best deal and waiting, waiting, waiting to book....I am a cruise specialist with emphasis on Oceania Cruises.
  • I am a Premier Aussie Specialist, a Kiwi Sepcialist, a Matai (Fiji) Specialist, a KAT (Kenya) and FUNDI (South Africa) Specialist and would appreciate being listed as a qualified "go-lo member expert".
  • I have clients that also have found that the internet booking engines are not as user friendly as they would like for the general public to believe. Some found out the hard way - most just don't want to spend their time trying to deal with it and realize that loyalty goes both ways. I don't touch or comment on a booking that I did not originate and I tell them that it is because of "liability issues".
  • I did read this - excellent news for travel agents. We get complaints all the time and have had several calls wanting us to fix problems of trips booked by clients on the internet. Just read tripso.com some time and see all the complaints and headaches people have. I have had many clients come back after "internet" nightmares.
  • Anybody catch this piece in yesterday's New York Times? Very interesting, about how it's become such a pain to book online that some consumers are giving agents another look...

    "Worst Part of a Trip May Be Booking It on the Web"

    If you dreaded sitting down at your computer the last time you made travel arrangements or felt frustrated by all the time and effort it took to sort through pages of results for flights and hotels, join the crowd.

    A new report, to be released Tuesday by Forrester Research, found that far from embracing the do-it-yourself era, many consumers were fed up with the complicated process of planning and booking travel.

    “What we’ve seen is growing frustration,” said Henry H. Harteveldt, a Forrester travel analyst. “Consumers see other Web sites becoming easier to use — retail Web sites, banking Web sites, media Web sites. But travel is treading water as a category. There are very few travel companies that are really looking to improve the planning and booking process.”

    Instead, customers are forced to figure out extra fees, wade through fine print and understand industry terms like the difference between a deluxe and a standard room, in addition to educating themselves about destinations, flights and hotels, Mr. Harteveldt said.

    “Travel companies expect the consumer to behave like a travel agent,” he explained. “The question I always ask these guys is, ‘Could your mother-in-law use your Web site without having to call you for help?’ The answer is always no.”

    In fact, Mr. Harteveldt said a growing number of consumers appeared to be interested in using an offline travel agency, if they could find one.

    “The fact that there are more people now who would consider using a good offline travel agent is telling me people are saying, ‘Enough already,’ ” he said.


    ...
  • I am a Destination Wedding and Honeymoon Specialist - Hawaii Specialist - Cruise Specialist. I also specialize in Group Travel - so I can offer my services to any of these areas.
  • Great idea and vision, for everyone who travels....anywhere.
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