The benefits of booking through a travel agency
The need for booking a holiday through a travel agent is often overlooked, seeing that many travel websites give people the ability to plan their holidays themselves. Added to this, it’s quite easy and common for people to book accommodation directly through a hotel or lodge, as well as book their transportation themselves.
Many people hold the belief that self-booking holidays are cheaper and more reliable than booking through a travel agency, but this can be a misconception. Booking through a travel agency presents a range of benefits, especially when booking a holiday for a large group of people or if you plan to visit multiple destinations.
According to one of South Africa’s leading safari travel agencies, Safari.com, customers can miss out on a lot of benefits when self-booking a holiday. Safari.com has summarised the advantages of using a trusted travel agency when planning a vacation:
1. You get full service for free
When you book a getaway with a travel agency, the burden of having to plan your entire holiday yourself is lifted. It can be quite tiring trying to organise a vacation and the stress becomes even more compounded when you’re booking for multiple destinations or multiple people.
A travel agency like Safari.com allows you to sit back and relax while they plan, check availability, and book on your behalf — for free!
2. You’re guaranteed the best price
One of the benefits of booking through a travel agency is that they guarantee the best prices. Due to strong partnerships with local accommodations and bulk promotions, you’re guaranteed not to find a better price elsewhere. For example, If you’ve found that perfect lodge for your holiday and you’ve found a better deal elsewhere, Safari.com will match that deal to ensure you’re paying the absolute best price.
Saving money is a priority for many customers, especially in the current economy. Added to that, saving money when booking a holiday also frees up money that can be spent on fun activities at your holiday destination.
3. They usually have great travel combos on offer
Travel agencies provide discounts and combo deals for their customers, especially if you’re booking in a large group. This is better than trying to negotiate a bulk booking yourself.
Think about just how diverse your friendship group is. Planning a vacation for a group of people who have differing tastes, desires, and budgets can be quite a challenge. You may be unsure of where to start and sometimes you may find yourself in the middle of a squabble caused by a difference of opinion. When you have a travel agent, they deal with all the details and all you have to do is show up.
4. Travel agencies are experts at what they do
When self-booking a holiday, you have to do extensive research about the area you’d like to go to, check out reviews about the accommodation, and conduct further due diligence and hope that everything runs smoothly.
However, when you book through a travel agency, there’s less pressure to do all the above because an expert will be handling your stay. This is because you’ll be able to trust that you’re in good hands due to your travel agent’s expertise, which will allow you to relax and get into holiday mode. Safari.com has many safari experts who assist customers with their bookings, which is an example of how well-equipped travel agencies are for handling your holiday plans.
5. You’ll always get up to date information
If you’re an avid traveller, you’ll be privy to the fact that you need to be aware of current affairs to determine whether travelling to a certain area is viable or not. Travel agencies are always ‘in the know’ about which areas are safe to travel to, so you’ll never have to worry about double-checking the news before you make your booking.
6. Travel agencies have strong partner relationships
Due to their relationships with accommodations such as lodges and hotels, planning your holiday through a travel agency gives you more flexibility and less admin should you decide to move your stay or change an aspect of your travel plans.
7. You can amend your booking free of charge
Changing your booking is quite simple when you’ve booked through a reputable travel agency. You can’t predict the future, and sometimes unexpected things happen which may interfere with your travel plans.
A travel agency will help you make the necessary booking changes. Some travel agencies, like Safari.com, amend bookings for free.
8. You receive financial security when booking through a travel agency
Travel agencies ensure that they protect the interests of their customers and that includes their money. Money that is paid to an accredited and bonded travel agency is protected by a third-party guarantee.
As seen from the points above, booking a holiday through a reputable travel agency has extensive benefits. Consider using Safari.com for your next safari getaway. A bonus of booking through Safari.com is that they provide up to 80% discount for South African citizens through their SA Residents specials and until the end of December you will also receive R1500 cashback on your petrol spend once you’ve booked.
