Because of their experience and wide connections with people in the hospitality industry, travel agencies are in the best position to provide sound advice when it comes to the following points: off peak and peak travel times, budget travel, hotel and meal deals, excursions, shopping bargains, and other tourism-related topics. Much will depend on your preferences. For instance, are you interested in a golf holiday, a fishing trip, a museum jaunt or a spa type of vacation?
Discounted fares
Travel agencies and online travel agencies are great for bargain hunting and usually get the best deals from their network of contacts. They also purchase air tickets on volume, consolidated tickets, enabling them to buy air tickets at considerably higher discounts.
Extended network of suppliers and providers
Given that travel agents deal every day with hotel managers, restaurant owners and managers, bed and breakfast supervisors, tour operators, limousine companies, and other people who offer a specialized service, they know who and what are offering better prices and when. So travel agents have a wealth of information on just about anything related to travel, and because they network with other travel agents, they get to exchange valuable tips. Consider yourself fortunate if you happen to be dealing with a travel agent who seems to know ?just about everyone? in the travel industry and who can offer you the discounts that she reserves for preferred clients.
Group discounts
If you tell your travel agent that you and your friends want to travel together or that you're taking your family of four on a Kenyan safari, he or she might be able to slash off more dollars from your air tickets because you will be travelling in a group. Sometimes, when you buy three adult tickets, travel agents will let your four-year-old travel for free or at a much lower price. Travel agents can, at their discretion, extend courtesy discounts to groups. The more seats are bought and the more rooms are booked, the higher the discounts they receive.
Perks
Travel agents also have access to suppliers and service providers who hand out ?bonuses? or perks. These are the nice extra incentives that say, hotel managers would give to agents so that the next time the travel agency has a large group of travelers, they choose the same hotel. Meal vouchers are another example that travel agencies have a constant supply of to give to loyal customers. For example, if you and your friends like to visit Las Vegas a lot, your travel agency may give you slot chips worth $50.00 to use on machines, or free passes to a stage show or concert. So you see, it does pay to develop good relationships with travel agencies especially if you're a frequent traveler.
Specialization
Some travel agencies specialize in certain types of travel and cater to a certain age group or specific professional groups. Some travel agencies have more strengths and capabilities than other travel agencies. One travel agency may know the ins and outs of Eastern Europe or may know what the best budget restaurants in Tokyo are. Other travel agencies may cater specifically to retirees, students or government officials.
When a travel agency handles a large account like a mid-size company whose executives travel weekly, you can be sure that travel agency is in a position to offer significant savings on plane tickets or hotel reservations. If you have a friend who works for a large company and his company uses one travel agency, you could ask him to request the travel agency for special deals. Because travel agents are grateful for the continuing patronage of their company clients, they will most likely share tips on how to travel on a shoestring budget for the executives? children.
Don't let one unfortunate experience with a travel agency discourage you. Find another. If you deal with the airlines directly, you're just another caller to them, whereas if a travel agent calls the airline on your behalf, the airline will recognize the travel agency as a regular customer and hence would be more inclined to extend courtesies.
What you need to do before calling a travel agency is to decide:
?Specific travel dates ?Where you want to go, where you want to stay and whether you'll need a car or rail passes ?If you're willing to travel on a restricted ticket or as a standby passenger ?What activities you'd like to do once you arrive in your destination By giving your travel agency complete information, she can be more efficient in helping you plan your next vacation.
This small land consists of inhabitants coming from diverse backgrounds ranging from Creole, Mayan, Garifuna, Hispanic, Mestizo and Middle Eastern. There is the world-renowned barrier reef, dense rainforests, beaches, mountains, along with island adventures, Mayan ruins, jungles, exotic wildlife and lots more to explore in Belize.
With so much to explore and experience in Belize, you would not want to miss even a single delight. Therefore you need somebody who can guide you throughout this enchanting country.
A travel agency well versed with Belize can easily arrange the accommodation, tours etc. for you. Travel agents can guide you throughout your journey, suggest the most exotic places to see and look after your needs.
But finding a good, reputed travel agency is not that easy. You need to check certain things before you let any travel agency to take care of your travel plans.
The following tips will help you in choosing a travel agency which can make your vacation productive and satisfying:
Check out the certifications
The travel agency should have the licensed certificates of some approved travel authority. Check out whether the agency is a member of the American Society of Travel Agents. An ASTA certified travel agent is reliable, as the world's largest association of travel professionals. There are many stringent rules and requirements to become a member of the ASTA.
Contact Information
A reliable travel agent is the one who can be contacted physically and not just over e-mails. If the address of its office is not mentioned on the website, then it is a cause of worry.
No hidden charges
A reliable travel agency won't charge you any hidden fees for their services. They would mention right in the beginning the entire expense of your tour and won't ask extra money for the services they have not delivered.
Personal assistance
If you manage to find a travel agency which can assist you personally at your destination and throughout your journey, then you may have the agency you need. A good travel agency is one which not only provides impeccable services at best prices but also gives advice and adds value to your vacation.
Agents can put you in the right group
The kind of people who are traveling with you in a group make a lot of difference to your trip. For example, if an older couple is made to travel with a group of honeymooners, then quite naturally they would feel a little odd. Hence, tell the agents what your preferences are. They can help you join the people of the same age group and areas of interest.
Recommend according to your budget
Travel agencies typically enjoy a wide network of contacts with hotels, resorts, restaurants, companies offering snorkeling and diving gear and other equipment. They can recommend places and accommodation based upon your budget and requirements. Suppose you want do snorkeling or diving. A travel agent can guide you to the place, such as Ambergris Caye, Hopkins or any other place where you can indulge in your favorite activities set in your budget. Similarly, if offbeat tours such as Belize jungle vacations or adventure tours is what you like, it is always better to let the agency chalk out your itinerary according to your budget.
Plan early
The earlier you start planning, the better. If you wish to visit Belize and its popular islands (called cayes) during the month of Christmas, Thanksgiving or New Year, book as early as possible. The sooner you contact a reliable travel agency, the better accommodation you are likely to get. The peak season to visit Belize is between the months of December to April. Therefore, contact your travel agency and book in advance for your Belize jungle vacations or Belize adventure tours to avoid the rush.
Both Suzannebradley & Wilson29 are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Suzannebradley has sinced written about articles on various topics from Travel and Leisure, Wedding Bells and Travel and Leisure. Suzanne Bradley is a freelance writer who writes about the travel industry discussing tips and offering suggestions about working with a.. Suzannebradley's top article generates over 1600 views. to your Favourites.
Wilson29 has sinced written about articles on various topics from Real Estate, Travel and Leisure and Finances. Edward Wilson is a well-known travel journalist based in Belize. He has written extensively on and. Wilson29's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.