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Do you have any favorite stories that highlight the changes
taking place?
One of my early lightbulb moments was back in 1995 (ages ago
in Net time) when I had an agent book a ticket for me to Mexico
- when I wanted to change the date, she said all other dates
were full, so I logged on to a new site called Preview Travel
and found that not only was the other flight available, but
that it was slightly cheaper. The lesson was that even if you
don't buy online, the Net gives you a window into worlds that
were previously unavailable to travelers. It offers a way to
check out most of your options, so you can be more informed
about ticket prices or tour possibilities, and it lets you find
tour operators you may have never known existed.
Can travelers really get good airfares online? I still find
it's more of a hassle than calling up a good travel agent.
Sometimes, especially for last-minute and Net-only specials.
I still advise people to check all channels, including travel
agents and discount ticket agencies, such as those that take
out those little ads in travel sections. For complex international
itineraries, it's hard to beat a good travel agent or discounter.
My friend Morris Dye has said for years that travel agents
have traditionally sold two things: access and expertise. Now
that the Net gives everyone access, travel agents are only worthwhile
if they're experts. That could mean experts at finding discount
tix or experts at helping plan the right family vacation or
ecotour. And now that many agents are charging fees, it only
makes sense to use them if you feel you're benefiting from their
expertise.
One of my biggest complaints about the travel industry is
that while hotels or agencies may have a website, they sometimes
forget to answer their email. Is this common?
Right, customer service is still evolving online. It is a
lot better than it was a couple of years ago but still has a
long way to go. Any online operation should answer email by
the end of the following business day, ideally sooner. If a
company doesn't promptly get back to you, take your biz elsewhere.
On the plus side, a lot of larger companies now have tollfree
phone numbers on their sites, or they offer the option of initiating
an online chat with a service rep.
Any other suggestions for travel agents in the Internet
Age?
As I alluded to: specialize, specialize, specialize. Also,
agents can use the Net to assist their clients by directing
them to helpful web sites about their destination. In sum, agents
are worthwhile if they can save clients a significant amount
of time or money, or if they can sagely advise clients about
how to best use their precious time off.
Publishers also seem a little confused as to the proper
course of action. Does it make sense for publishing houses to
put entire guidebooks online?
Well, Rough Guides, which does this, says yes, citing that
their print business has jumped 15-20 percent a year since they
began putting most of their content online. However they probably
would have grown anyway - these are fat times and people have
money to travel when the economy is good, thus they buy more
guidebooks. My feeling is the Net doesn't replace a good guidebook
- it complements it.
The best online guide applications enhance what's in the print
guides, for example Lonely Planet's online "Upgrades" and Frommer's
daily email newsletter of travel bargains. In sum, you can probably
do fine with online guides for a weekend getaway, but if you're
going to be traveling for a week or more, it's well worth spending
$15-20 for a good guidebook.
Do you have any advice for travelers seeking ecotourism
providers on the web?
Go to Planeta ;~} All
I can really say is just get out and explore -- there's a vast
amount of info out there and you can find much of it by learning
how to effectively use search sites. Then blaze your own trail,
hopping from one good site to the next. And remember there are
people behind these sites, frequently reachable via email, who
are often willing to answer questions.
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