5 Common Misconceptions About Travel Agencies

Long gone are the days where a card catalog would come in the mail highlighting your next vacation.?

Or going to your local insurance company to plan that family vacation with a travel agent. Who remembers the days, standing in line with their families looking at the loads of travel pamphlets? And while we cannot deny that travel pamphlets are cool, because they are, an easier way into the digital age has made it much more convenient.?

The internet, indeed, has made booking trips and experiences much easier. Information about places and things to do can be found in the mounds of information online through many travel bloggers and influencers who live that sunset dream, only one click away from you booking your plane ticket.?

As the internet has grown, so has our attraction to booking our next trip at the lowest price possible without the middleman (travel agent).?

Many companies offer cheap flights and dream destinations, but how about the experiences and activities when you touch down in your destination?

Where is the travel agent who will get you to those experiences and what stories are you willing to share back home?

How many mishaps have we heard from online traveling agencies that promise you one thing for the lowest price possible and it ends up costing you much more in the end. Or flight tickets on those who shall not be named airlines (Ryan Air, cough cough, Spirit Airlines, cough cough), sorry we cleared our throats and have thrown out any Harry Potter references. .?

At Global Tribes, we serve as an online travel agency. We focus on the mix of local, classical and cultural tourism. Working with our partners in every corner of the world and offering destinations with you in mind.?

Working with local ground operations, we must say that there are many misconceptions about travel agencies, but here are just a few to dispel and keep in mind when booking your next vacation or work away from home.?

1. Travel Agencies are Expensive?

Travel agencies offer more value and are able to work within your budgetary constraints. As an online travel agency, you may find that many of our activities and experiences are sold at a higher cost compared to a mass touristic booking platform. But, when you look at what you’re actually getting for your value, I think you may reconsider. First, Global Tribes as an online traveling agency, offers you reality vs. reality. You won’t be disappointed by going to your destination and seeing extra prices or being disappointed by your options in mind. We are here to set realistic expectations. Moreover, going with someone from the local community ensures that you will have value to take back from your trip. Lastly, most of our income goes back towards the local community. This means that it is provided at quality. Yes, we do pay above market value, but it is what you consider expensive and what you want to take from your experience.?

2. I can build my own experiences

True. We never want to put down a self-starter or solo traveler, there is value in these experiences. However, having a travel agency by your side that works with local ground operations, ensures that your quality of experiences are just that, indescribable. We look for local leads to take our travelers to and fro, testing by our internal and external team, meaning everything is tailor-made and sold with perfection in mind. We take the headache out of you having a bad experience, by us, truly trying, testing and experiencing everything. Who wouldn’t want that kind of piece of mind?

3. I have the same access as travel agents

Yes and no. When booking through an online travel agency that focuses on alternative, local and touristic experiences, this means that accessibility to our local leads is solely through us, because we work directly with the local community. This means that we have found ways to communicate with our local leads, have ground operations that speak the same language and have truly taken in lots of data to ensure that you get the best experience possible. Also, we offer customer support from the time you book your trip and during, ensuring that you are getting the best possible experience and if there are any issues, they are served through our local ground team.?

4. Every online traveling agency is the same

There are many online travel agencies that offer different products, categories and services to attain to every type of traveler. Moreover, each trip includes what is included, excluded, itineraries also have the opportunity for you to see exactly what you’re getting out of the trip. Not every online travel agency is the same. Some travel agencies focus on mass travel, while others offer, like us, small groups and alternative experiences. Same market, but different products.?

Have you booked with an online travel agency? What were some of the positives that were taken away from it?

5. Travel Agents Only Book Shared Mass Tours

?False, travel agents will state on the time of booking whether it is a mass group tour, shared private tour, or individual tour. This gives you the freedom to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into and how you want to travel. Moreover, with this type of transparency, you can meet people who are traveling the same way as you or choose to take the alternative route of going solo, but have someone who is willing to keep you safe and show you all the routes.?