How online booking has changed the landscape travel agent
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How online booking has changed the landscape travel agent
Travel agent jobs have dipped sharply, dropping about 70% between 2000 and 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The proliferation of online travel companies has made it easy for deal hunters, armchair travelers, and business travel planners to track information and find the best deals at their fingertips. But don’t count out travel agents yet—many are seeing a resurgence as travel recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
TravelPerk used BLS data to analyze the decline in US employment of travel agents over time, comparing employment to a timeline of online travel resources that have propelled online bookings.
It’s important to note the differences between the various booking option services available to customers. Travel agents help clients in planning their trips by arranging travel with suppliers. Examples of their suppliers include package tours, travel insurance, railways, cruise lines, car rentals, airlines, hotels, and so on. A travel agent’s clients include corporations, groups, or individuals, who often have very different travel needs and expectations. Business travelers, for example, are spending 50% less on travel than pre-pandemic, but as they steadily return, many have concerns including mitigating costs as in-person conferences restarting and anticipating changing entry restrictions, especially for international travel. Leisure travelers may turn to agents to recommend lower-risk—but still scenic—vacation destinations.
Travel agents can own their business or work for an agency owned by someone…
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TravelPerk used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to analyze the decline in US employment of travel agents over time.
