This past week, I was reading a blog written by a good friend in the safari industry. Do you want to hyperlink and share this blog? One of the comments on his blog was that travel agents and tour operators are going to become a thing of the past. This got me thinking. One of the reasons why I plan African Safari Vacations is because I love what I do. Isn’t this what it’s all about? Shouldn’t we all being doing something that we love and are passionate about? I love planning trips to Africa for our clients. I feel very fortunate to be able to spend my days dreaming up African vacations that will change people’s lives.
Sandy on safari in Madikwe
Why do I do this and why do clients come to me to do this? We in the travel industry are facing lots of consumers scouring the internet looking for deals, when to go on vacation, where to go, how long etc? So the question begs …. why should you book your vacation with a specialist? It shouldn’t only be because I love what I do. I have spent the past week thinking about this question and the comments posted on my friend’s blog. If you are in the travel industry, I would love to hear your feedback, but in the meantime I’ve come up with some answers.
Here are 10 reasons travelers should book with a specialist.
1. Clients come to a travel agent or tour operator for their expertise, knowledge and advice. Most travel agents have a specialty or niche. At Hills of Africa we have three specialists who have been in the industry working as guides, working at hotels and working in the travel industry for over 15 years. We spend large amounts of time investing in ourselves to make sure we know our product. In my case I take 2-3 three-week trips to Africa every year to educate myself on my product and the destinations I promote. I never recommend a product to a client that I have never visited. It is important for me to be able to talk with my clients about the different types of accommodation, the game viewing experience, the cuisine, the quality of guides, even their names.
2. More for your money. If you are scouring the internet for the best deals, you might not come up with the best deal. Those of us in the industry are kept up to date on deals, for example some properties offer a “stay for 3, pay for 2″ deal, or even a combination of staying at three different properties with a “stay for 9, pay for 6″. As they say, the lowest price isn’t always the best deal, travel agents are aware of the deals that are only available to the travel agent trade.
Surprises for our clients
3. Personal Service. Even if you are not going for a special occasion, it is worth noting that travel agents and tour operators take the time to get to know you; they find out what your favorite drink is, what type of chocolate you like, what your favorite flower is. Now I might be giving away trade secrets here, but how surprising and special would it be to receive a bottle of your favorite bubbly with a welcome note in your room on arrival, or a surprise “massage for two” after a long flight from your travel agent. We enjoy spoiling you.
4. Preparing you for your Trip. We like to prepare you for your trip from the moment you leave home to the moment you return. You are our responsibility once you get on that airplane, and so it is important for us to make sure you are well prepared. At Hills of Africa, we send you a Question and Answer document which answers every question you might have about an African safari vacation, from how long your passport needs to be valid after entering the country to what type of inoculations and medicine you might need for Africa, to whether or not you should take a hairdryer with you. We also prepare destination guides for the countries you will be visiting which will include restaurants (and of course we know which table to book!), tours, bank hours, markets worth visiting. Travel agents leave no details out and our mission is to help prepare you for your vacation so that you will be able to enjoy yourselves without worry or hassle.
A friendly face welcoming you
5. We are there to help you when something goes wrong. Every step of the way, travel agents are with you. Because we know your itinerary, we will be there to help you when something goes wrong. If your flight happens to be canceled or delayed we are there to help ensure that you get on the next available flight. Not only that, because we have staff on the ground in the countries that you will be visiting, our staff will know that you have been delayed. They will be waiting for you, you won’t have to go find a tax and make your own way to your destination. We will have informed the hotel or safari camp that you are staying at, and on your arrival you’ll have your favorite beverage ready for you (because we have taken the time to get to know you and your preferences!) with a warm and inviting smile. Having a travel agent working with you, can save you hundreds of hours and money when something goes wrong.
Celebrating after a soccer match in the local community
6. Custom designing your vacation of a lifetime. I think most travel agents and tour operators are like us at Hills of Africa Travel. When a client comes to us with a request we spent a lot of time designing their itinerary to meet their travel needs and desires. I love the fact that we are small, we are proud of it too. As a small tour operator we don’t have to worry about volume discounts with specific properties and then having to push clients to those properties to meet contractual obligations. What we take pride in is actually listening to our clients, incorporating everything they desire and then presenting them with an itinerary that matches exactly what they are looking for in terms of budget, time frame and travel tastes. This could be something like a family wanting to be more involved in the community, so arranging a soccer match in the local village they will be visiting, or arranging a surprise dinner in the African bush, or volunteering for a day in a local community to prepare a field for vegetable gardening. All travel agents and tour operators are passionate about their work, but we are even more passionate about our clients’ experiences.
Giving back
7. Giving Back. Travel agents have a desire to give back. At Hills of Africa Travel our mission is “changing lives one journey at a time, every time”. What I mean by this, is that it is our intention for you to have a life changing journey to Africa by being mesmerized by it’s beauty, captivated by its animals and your hearts warmed by the smiles of the people you will meet. It is also so that the people of Africa to get to know you and their lives are changed forever by having been given the chance of getting to know you and learning about your family, your history and your culture. Now I know that everyone has the right intention to do good, but is it going to the right place? We make sure that your travel dollars go into the right hands, by choosing travel providers who make a difference, who are passionate about Fair Trade and equality for their staff and their families and who are willing to make a difference.
8. Booking with a travel agent, saves you bank fees! When you book your travel with a travel agent, you are only paying one bill. We organize your itinerary to include someone to meet you as you exit the airplane, transfers, hotel and safari accommodation, tours, restaurant bookings. If you were to organize this yourself you would have to pay numerous companies (let alone keep track of all the confirmation numbers, dates, times, places, etc), we take this hassle away from you and pay all of these suppliers on your behalf. With African bookings as well, the travel agent takes the exchange currency risk, not you.
Relaxing at Azura in Mozambique
9. More time for you. A travel agent can save you countless hours of scouring the internet, when you could be making money doing your own job. A travel agent has many more avenues to search from, we know our business well and we take pride in what we offer to you. We spend a lot of time researching and making sure that each transfer is with a trusted agent, each hotel room is in perfect condition, your flights have you in your preferred seating. We have taken the time to be the very best agents by investing in our education and knowledge so that you don’t have to spend your time doing planning a vacation when you could be spending quality time with loved ones, or making money in your own day job.
10. We think of you. Travel agents have the knowledge, expertise and the “in” on what you need to do to plan your vacation, what you need to do make your dream trip a reality and not just a dream. We make sure that you are looked after from the time you leave home to the time you return. All the worry and stress of having to sort out the details are taken away from you, leaving you with the opportunity of being able to enjoy every single treasured moment of your vacation.
If you are planning a dream vacation will you trust your vacation of a lifetime to a travel agent? Travel agents, I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts and what actions you take to make your clients’ dream vacations a reality.
Sandy:
You have hit the nail right on the head! So many people think they SAVE money by doing it themselves and instead make mistakes that cost them money and ruin their trips.
I have planned 3 week trips to Australia and Italy myself and made some of these mistakes. Later I used a full service travel agent for my wine tours and I know first hand how important the passion and expertise you bring to your clients is!
Great Posting…
Laurie Forster
The Wine Coach
Sandy,
Love your article. I’ve been following Hills of Africa for a while now and can honestly say that for a destination like Africa, which feels so far away and so unknown to me I’d definitely want a company like yours to plan and facilitate with me.
Having said that, Hills of Africa seems to be a huge leap above any travel agent I’ve ever worked with. You truly care about each and every vacation you plan and every client you work with. I’m looking forward the time I’m ready to plan something with you.
Keep up your great work and keep raising the bar on meaningful travel experiences.
Warmly,
Sharon
Sandy-
I whole heartedly agree with you. Travel Agents will always be important to have an amazing adventure and experience. Besides, you get what you pay for. If you are looking for skimpy deals on the interent, you are going to get a skimpy experience. So, why even bother. That does not mean I am saying that Tavel Agents are costly, because I do not believe that. Just like any other expert in their field travel agents, the goods ones, want you to have the best experience you can possibly have for your budget. Since they have the expertise, connections and know the best deals available can put together the experience of a lifetime!
Hi Sandy,
Since I got to know you online, I really do have a feeling that you are passionate about selling safaris. However, I tend not to agree with you that this is the case with all tour-operators, let alone them giving something back. In my opinion the giving is used as a PR stunt.
Futhermore do I agree with your reasoning that specialists will never disappear. But that is only because itineraries can be complicated and the right info can be difficult to find.
So the one that comes up with making things a lot easier (when booking a safari) could actually grab a nice chunk of the market. I am working on that, but whether I will succeed has to be seen.
Keep up the nice articles and good luck with your business and the promotion of African holidays!
Kind regards,
Your Dutch friend.
Sandy – From a travel agent’s perspective, I completely agree with your excellent points. Travel consultants will never disappear as long as people desire personalized, tailor-made trips (which will never end!). We provide the knowledge gained from years of relationships and experience that an individual just can’t get from the internet. Hills of Africa is a perfect example of that expertise. Thanks from this travel agent for raising the bar! – Beverly
Sandy,
Very interesting points! In the past, I’ve planned trips myself and then had no one to turn to when things went wrong. Especially going somewhere unknown like Africa, I’d certainly want to work with a travel agent! Otherwise, making the plans would turn into a full-time job, and even then, I still might not get it right.
I think we all rely on do-it-yourself solutions to so many things and it seems easy enough to do the same with travel, but it’s easy to create problems, take unnecessary time, and spend more than necessary as a result. What a treat to plan a trip with someone who’s “in the know” and keeping my interests in the forefront while making plans.
Keep up the good work and thoughtful posts!
Julie
Thanks to everyone for your comments. I am lucky to be doing what I love, and to be able to create dream African journeys is so amazing. I’m lucky that I have the clients that require my services and are willing to put their trust in me.
Thanks my Dutch friend. Looking forward to seeing you getting a share of the market, you deserve to. Keep up your good work at http://www.planyoursafari.com, it’s a wealth of very important and useful information.
Sandy, I don’t see travel agents becoming a thing of the past. There are plenty of us in this world who are looking for someone to tell us where to go, the best place to dine, and help us book all the details of our trip. People like me!
Great article.
Sandy – A GREAT top 10 list – Spot on!
Sandy,
Certainly online booking has made it easy to book basic air, hotels, etc on your own. However a vacation is not just about reservations. The internet is great for looking, but wise travelers know that agents have the skills, expertise and connections you can’t get online. The best “values” are not always on the Internet. Agents can secure upgrades and amenities and contact hotel management on your behalf. The internet will never replace the security of dealing with a real person who has the skills to make your dreams happen. Online booking is very time consuming and offers a very low level of satisfaction. The travel agent will survive and the good ones embrace the internet and social media (like Hills of Africa) in this ever expanding world of information.
Laura
Thanks Laura for your comments. I agree. I forgot to address the room upgrades and extra amenities like private bush dinners, free dinners, etc. Great comment.
Great article, Sandy!
From our first-hand experience of your Soul Safari 2009, I have this to add:
1. Hills of Africa Travel drew together a phenomenal group of people, who have enriched each others’ lives and formed invaluable connections. This could never have been possible without your facilitation.
2. Similarly, we were afforded the unique opportunity of participating in something of a spiritual odyssey, together with Ainslie MacLeod. This too, would have been inconceivable as individuals.
3. No price can be placed on your “Mastermind” role. We learned an astonishing amount about our own country, thanks entirely to you. It’s one thing to search the internet with an idea in mind, but another matter altogether to invent one, let alone a brilliant one.
4. Let’s not foget that there’s also the possibility of preserving the memory with professional photographs and a video to treasure, all arranged especially for you
5. And of course: it’s a huge amount of FUN collaborating with you!
Simply put, Hills of Africa Travel raises the game – and that’s a gift. THANK YOU.
Tons of love from SA,
Naomi
Sandy,
Thank you so much for your detailed information on the importance of booking an African Safari with a travel agent.
An African safari is both a journey and an adventure. For some it may be simply another travel destination but for me it is where my soul longs to go. A trip such as this must be handled with an agency that is passionate about their industry and destination. Hills of Africa is that agency.
Warmly,
Marie
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by TravelIndustry: RT @WantToGoTravel: 10 Reasons You Should Book #Travel with a Specialist http://bit.ly/c8waIq – great article by @HillsofAfrica…
Africa is indeed a worth visiting place