Gotta love those travel agents… Tourist boards and tour operators contacted by Travel Courier say they still attach huge importance to travel agents, brushing aside some suggestions in recent years that technological advances would make agents irrelevant.

Latia Duncombe, director general of the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, says improved technology “can’t replace a voice,” with many who are planning a vacation eager to speak to an actual person. Her colleague Paul Strachan, director of global communications for the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, in turn reports that 65% of Canadians who vacation in the Bahamas book their trips through agents and those in Bahamian tourism are extremely appreciative of the work agents do.

Eric Rodriguez of the Sunwing Travel Group in turn says travel agents are “hugely important. They’re the experts in the industry. They want value for their clients.” Rodriguez adds that over 60% of Sunwing Travel Group business comes from agents, underscoring that the predictions of some years ago that there was no future for travel agents have been proven wrong.

Jerry Grymek of LMA Communications, which represents Philadelphia, the Florida Keys and Dominica in this country, is outspoken in his support of agents. “Travel agents are the lifeblood of our industry – our ambassadors – and every effort must be made to work with them and support them,” he states. “No matter the destination I am representing I always think, ‘How can I further engage with travel agents?’. This is underscored by the fact that there is a strong trust that Canadians have with travel agents that should be recognized.”

Also a major supporter of travel agents is Lessner Gomez, who oversees the Cuba Tourism Board’s Canadian operation. ”Travel agents are essential to Cuba, most of the Canadians going to Cuba use a travel advisor, so we would like to recognize the importance of the role they play and express our deepest appreciation for their work and the indisputable value they bring to our mutual clients.”

Ben Hall, CEO of AAT Kings and Inspiring Journeys’ reports that the majority of its North American trip requests are from Canada and “these figures give a better indication of the way Canada is growing for us. In 2019, Canada was 46.1% of our North American business. In 2023, Canada is tracking to be 72.5% of our North American business.

“We truly appreciate and value the hard work of our Canadian travel agent partners and our 2023 bookings numbers are indicating pent-up demand for Canadian clients wanting to embark on our guided holidays in Australia and New Zealand,” Hall continues. “Travel advisors’ expertise helps create a seamless booking experience, so we sincerely thank them for their dedicated efforts.”

Meanwhile, the Utah Office of Tourism has launched a Utah Specialist Academy for travel advisors worldwide, including the Canadian market. Travel advisors who complete the Utah Specialist Academy by June 30 will be in the running to win a September fam to Utah. Graduates of the academy will receive ongoing open access to the program and resources, including up-to-date information, training updates, new Utah experiences to offer clients and access to the industry resource page with assets, itineraries and new product updates. 

“With the Canadian market being Utah’s largest international source market and ranked number one, generating $174 million in spend and 274,000 visits in 2019, the goal of this program is to provide travel advisors with a general knowledge of the incredible experiences Utah has to offer. This knowledge will also give travel advisors the confidence and familiarity to sell our products before even stepping foot in the state. The resources, information and assets provided in this course will provide the necessary knowledge to close more leads and drive sales,” says Zach Fyne of the tourism office.
 
The program provides travel advisors with the confidence and knowledge to sell the state to their clients and they will learn everything that makes Utah a welcoming destination to visitors from all backgrounds, cultures, and group sizes. 
 
As travel advisors’ journey through Northern and Southern Utah, they will discover each destination offers unique features, local outfitters, essential highlights, dining and accommodation, the tourism office says.

For more information and to register visit: www.visitutahspecialistacademy.com.