The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) has published an open letter in which it stated the need to abandon the term “travel agent” and replace it with "travel consultant"As Russian experts emphasize, the initiative is more than relevant - according to representatives of the tourism industry, it is high time to apply such a practice in our country.
As the letter's authors note, today a travel agent is not just a booking intermediary, but a trusted person, like a financial analyst, for example.
“The term ‘consultant’ not only more accurately describes the value ASTA members provide to consumers, but also serves as a clear statement that retailers can take the travel industry to the next level,” ASTA emphasizes.
In its statement, the Society of Travel Advisors also called on its partners and the broader American travel industry to support the initiative and "add their name to the growing list of organizations that have made or are in the process of transitioning from the term 'travel agent' to the term 'travel advisor.'"
It's worth noting that Russian retailers have given their American counterparts an extremely positive assessment of the innovation. Thus, according to Director of the Belmare travel agency Diana Ferdman, our business should follow ASTA's example.
"In my opinion, this is a very good initiative. On my social media platforms, as well as in my column on the TRN portal, I've long been trying to convey one simple idea: in today's world, we need to retrain ourselves from salespeople to consultants. Agencies must understand their value, learn to sell their knowledge, and feel their own importance. Tourists, meanwhile, must understand that we don't charge for nothing. Clients need to be made aware that they're paying for a consultation, for knowledge, for time, for skills, for expertise—for the fact that we constantly keep our finger on the pulse. A good travel agent will always advise which tour to choose and which to avoid, where to fly and where to avoid, and which seat to choose on the plane. We've gained all this knowledge over many years of working in the challenging tourism business. And this gives us the right to charge for consultations. "I'm convinced that we simply must combat the stereotype in the minds of Russian citizens that travel agents are speculators," says Diana Ferdman.
Source: trn-news.ru