WHY USE A TRAVEL ADVISOR?

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Advocacy, Experience, Connections, and Emergencies

1. A D V O C A C Y // We work for you. When something goes wrong or when you want to elevate your travel experience and plan something special on your vacation, we are your voice. You are not simply a reservation number to us. We take a personal interest in your journey from start to finish.

2. E X P E R I E N C E // The future of travel is here, and rapidly changing travel policies are a reality. Trying to plan a trip independently will undoubtedly cause you information overload. It is a lot to decipher with hundreds of new hotels on the scene, all promising to be better than the next. Our work with over 20 years of professional experience, thousands of hours of travel industry certification and training, and hundreds of trips exploring the destinations your trip will be much smoother if you have an experienced travel advisor by your side to help you navigate the process. 

3. C O N N E C T I O N S //We've met many vital people during our years in business. Our global connections give you access to trip enhancements you likely won't find on your own such as negotiated rates, exclusive perks, hard-to-get reservations, and personalized VIP services.

4. E M E R G E N C I E S // We are proving our worth during the Covid pandemic. Our team has worked long hours without pay, rebooking, and canceling our client's travel. We secured refunds our clients could not obtain on their own and saved them hours of headaches on long holds with the airlines & hotels. We've been there for our clients in all types of emergencies in standard times, from civil unrest to hurricanes to volcanic eruptions to massive wildfires to labor strikes. We will be there for you too!

5. Storms and natural disasters make travel more challenging with natural disasters and system failures. Travel agents have the access and the knowledge to help speed your re-accommodation and act as your advocate when there are problems. When you book with an agent, you can reach out to an actual person with whom you have built a trust relationship with. Travel agents can help change travel dates due to weather or change the destination completely. They can hold cruise and air options for you and confirm your hotel before booking a non-refundable reservation. And in these weather-affected times, no client wants to sit on hold with the airlines or a tour operator for hours—so let a travel agent do the work for you.

6. Life is busier and more demanding than ever, and vacation time is valuable. There is no do-over for a vacation gone wrong. Travel agents can help you achieve the relaxation you desire because they listen, suggest, adjust, understand, and become friends, not just search engines or an anonymous voice. "They do the work; you pack and go!"

7. Travel advisors add a human element. We ensure that you are a person, not a number. They are invested in their clients' happiness and satisfaction and want to make sure every trip has positive lifelong memories. They are with you before, during, and after your trip—like "for better or for worse." Travel agents answer their phones and respond to their emails no matter where you are on the planet.

8. Trips are more complicated than ever, as the number of multi-generational vacations and destination weddings grows. Multi-generational vacations are still very much in demand. Baby Boomers are paying big money to take their kids and grandkids on high-end vacations. Because planning travel with many people is a challenge, a travel agent is a perfect choice to be the "middleman" and provide assistance to plan an ideal family vacation.

9. The world is constantly changing, and travel advisors are on the ground experiencing it. Travel advisors don't just sell a destination—they discover, research, and experience the places they offer over and over, sharing the actual and current status quo with their customers. Just like in everyday life, it takes a village to understand the dynamics of every destination. Why does it alone if you don't have to?

10. They save you so much time and stress. Sure, reading about places to go is fun and enticing—but planning a trip is stressful. There is much data available online, in magazines and books, and even on TV. Travel advisors travel for work, looking at everything from the size of the rooms at hotels and cruise ships to the available dining options, onsite and nearby. And if they haven't personally been where you want to go, a colleague has, or their preferred tour operators have. They know the hidden gems in a given destination because they've either seen it or listened to the previous client who came home and raved about something they found by chance. They also specialize in destinations or niches like LGBT or Special Needs travel. Every time they travel, they focus on these details—so customers can dream about their destination and not have to worry.

11. They often save you money—and if not, they deliver more value. Even if your travel agent charges a fee, the value you receive will be more significant than what you paid. We noted that one of our new clients had been booking group cruises directly for many years—and never knew he could receive group amenities and discounts. He thought using a travel advisor would cost extra when using an agent can save you money and get you extras and insider access.

12. Marquis Vacations LLC counted twenty separate travel advisories in September 2016; the first two weeks of October brought ten more. The two months saw ten hurricanes, three earthquakes, five strikes against travel suppliers, two shootings/bombings, one airline bankruptcy, two major wildfires, one airline fuel shortage, one volcano about to erupt, Ryanair flight cancellations, one visa suspension (Turkey), one State Department warning (Cuba), and one named snowstorm. Does anyone care to navigate that on their own? People are nervous, anxious, and unsure. 

13. They can reassure anxious travelers because they know where you should go and shouldn't. Agents feel a huge responsibility to explain, comfort, and assist their clients in making the best possible choices. And now, with all the devastation and destruction from Mother Nature, they can be instrumental in helping to decipher what destinations are accessible.

14. They offer unique services for discerning clients. Marketing to the masses is pointless for travel agents. Our services are not for everyone, and they are for those that appreciate that they do this not just for a living but because it is how they make life and travel better. They are the whisper, not the shout-out. 

15. Like any professional advisor, they know more than you do. Should you book that Rhine River cruise heading north or heading south? Travel agents know which hotel rooms have the best view room; they know you should renew your passport six months before it expires; they know you should bring your road maps in Europe because rental car companies don't provide them. They can recommend a private guide instead of a ship excursion, an attractive destination along the way, a chance to get off the beaten track and see something uniquely important to you.