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The obvious response is, why would you need them? Everything can be researched and booked online. However, I'm trying to plan a trip to Patagonia (southern end of Chile and Argentina) and I don't know, I'm just overwhelmed. We don't really want to do a full end-to-end tour, but also renting a car (which would probably need to be a manual four wheel drive) and booking everything individually ahead of time seems daunting. Also, is this area so popular that it's already too late to book for the travel season in the area (Dec - Mar)? What about El Nino? How can we see the most we can and cross the border the least number of times? Really just looking for an expert of the area (South America) who can provide some local knowledge, suggested itineraries, and maybe make some tricky bookings for us.
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Aug 21, 2023 17:51
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Disclosure: I am a travel advisor. They do! Though they’re called “travel advisors” now. The days of needing one to book airfare are long gone, and the days of using one to get a good “deal” are also pretty dried up, though this is still (I believe) the most common purpose people think a travel advisor is for. Travel advisors now are there to fill the role of someone to plan your trip who: 1. Knows more than you do about your destination 2. Possess better connections with providers than you do (some service providers are still strictly b2b, IE normal people can’t book their services, only advisors can) and/or 3. Follow up and do all the work so you can just write a check (remember checks lol) and not have to deal with anything. As they’re now “advisors” their deeds are a “service”, and usually cost money. Travel providers usually compensate by paying the advisor commission (not economy air or most hotels, though), but increasingly this is dwindling so advisors usually charge their customers a fee as well. All this to say, it really sounds like a TA would help you out quite a bit, and probably get you on a vacation that would be better than you could plan yourself, even if you do a TON of research. Since using a TA now is no longer the cheapest way to do things, a lot of them cater to more luxury (read: expensive) travel, so where you look for a TA will depend on your budget. A lot of travel advisors belong to a “consortium” that gives them negotiating power with travel suppliers and helps them do better for their clients. Think labor union, sorta. Travelers can look up travel agents by searching within consortia. here’s a good site explaining what consortia do I’m hesitant to say which one I belong to because I’m just trying to answer your question and not solicit business, but I’ve decided to tell you because there’s over 6,000 advisors in it and the chances of you picking me are very slim, and I think my consortium is one of the better ones and has good info for travelers. It’s Virtuoso. As to your specific situation, a travel advisor has access to DMCs, also called On-Sites. These are business set up in the area you’re looking to visit, staffed by locals, who plan trips like the one you’re looking for. They’d set up day tours, hotels, transportation, etc. they’re all totally custom (bespoke is the buzzword, obvs) and tailored to the traveler’s group size, interests, and budget. Most DMCs only work through travel advisors, as that cuts down on the tire kickers and cheapskates they’d otherwise have to deal with. Any other questions just ask!
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Aug 22, 2023 12:22
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I'm going to lead my first tours for EF (Education First) this month and they seem to do pretty well booking hotels and transportation for individuals and large groups, with a global reach. https://www.goaheadtours.com/tours/latin-america-tours
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Mar 3, 2024 05:56
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