As of: January 29, 2024, 9:00 a.m
By: Luis Teschner
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Travel agencies are not dying out.
Instead, they convince travelers with a unique service.
“Those believed to be dead live longer,” says a tourism expert.
When was the last time you went to a travel agency?
For a surprising number of people, the visit will not have been that long ago.
According to statistics from the German Travel Association,
over 50 percent of all event trips were booked in German travel agencies in 2022
.
Many customers are keen to travel and still want to book their trips in direct conversation.
Contrary to expectations, the diverse online offering was unable to force travel agencies out of the market.
“Those believed to be dead live longer,” says Professor Bernd Eisenstein, director of the German Institute for Tourism Research at the West Coast University of Applied Sciences in Heide, in an interview with
Ippen.Media
.
Visits to the travel agency are particularly worthwhile for travelers who are unsure or comfortable
The overwhelming online market that Stiftung Warentest recently examined has turned out to be a blessing for travel agencies.
“People actually don’t feel like using the internet anymore.
You don't want to spend hours searching.
With us you have a contact person,” explains Brigitte Kantelberg, owner of the Munich travel agency Holiday Hotline, in an interview.
Professor Eisenstein also holds this view: “The online offering is now very diverse, searching for information and planning can become very time-consuming.” A visit to the travel agency can then be an alternative.
Especially because travel agencies can keep up with the price, says Kantelberg.
A visit to the travel agency can be worthwhile for travelers.
© HalfPoint Images/Imago
“People got their money back from us during the pandemic”
In addition to convenience, Professor Eisenstein mentions another common reason why people feel more comfortable in travel agencies: uncertainty.
“We are social creatures and trust is best developed through direct face-to-face contact.
Travel agencies can do that, but the Internet can only do so to a very limited extent,” he says.
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If you want to venture to an unknown, more distant destination, a visit to the travel agency could be just right for you.
A friendly face is waiting there and can reassure you.
Customers were able to experience this especially during the pandemic, says travel agency owner Kantelberg: “People got their money back from us.
Nobody talks to you on the Internet.” She also confirms the impression from statistics that travel agencies are still very popular: “I can hardly save myself from inquiries.”
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Instead, the shortage of skilled workers is already causing her problems: “I’ve been looking for someone for a year.
So far I have only received one application from a gas station attendant who likes to travel.
But only trained specialists can work with us.”