Travel Weekly Blog

This post comes from Silversea Cruises UK director of training development Brian Hordon.

The online editor of Travel Weekly recently highlighted some research by Boo.com which found that agents are the source of travel information least trusted by consumers.

Travel review websites were in second position, which raises the issue of travel agent vs internet yet again.

Back in November 2006 I wrote that "a knowledgeable, well trained and sales driven travel consultant can easily become the living internet for the customer". I have not changed my opinion.

Everyone talks of 'adding value' to travel agent service, but the best agents are already adding it. This year I've travelled to Australia, the Far East, United States, Central Europe and the UK, and I can tell you how important the little things can be to holidaymakers who are not frequent travellers.

For example? Tell customers who are travelling to the United States to carry a black pen and pick up two immigration forms (we all make a mistake on the first) at check in. Tell anyone departing from Heathrow Terminal three - currently a nightmare - to leave lots and lots of time. Tell them about the new BA Club cabin (superb).

I could go on and on. So can travel agents. As specialists they can provide information which will ease the customer's passage through the maze that many airports have become.

The internet is still restricted to data in, data out. But agents can provide mood, empathy, enthusiasm, excitement, and individual and personal information. That's 'added value' at its very best.

Brian Hordon, director of training development, Silversea Cruises UK