Do you have a Travel Guru?

I sat down with Sue Peterson a few weeks ago. She unabashedly admitted she would rather have been on a beach than with me.

Sue is a local Rockland County travel professional.  She owned her own shop for over twenty years.  She is very busy booking personal travel for dozens of clients, specializing in group travel, seniors, trips to Europe and particularly family reunions.

I started to wonder---with the advent of book-it-yourself internet sites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Tripadvisor  and Cheap Tickets.  Do people still use travel agents? And if they do, what are the advantages?

Sue explained a few reason to book a trip with a professional.

1.      You get to talk to a live, real person.  A person who you can actually sit across from, make eye contact with and enjoy their years of experience in travel.

2.      Travel Professionals do not charge for creating travel plans.  In most cases, agents are paid through hotels, cruise lines or tour organizations.  Therefore, using an agent does not cost you one bit more money.

3.      Professional Travel Agents have leveraging power.  They have partnerships with hotels, cruise companies, car rental agencies.  They receive discounts, credits, special deals every day.

4.      They give a client peace of mind.  If a flight is cancelled and the line for a connecting flight is endless, a client can get on the phone with an agent who can book a flight with their partners in a more efficient manner.

5.      An agent is knowledgeable about the hottest areas, the newest hotels, the best cruise lines.  Where the best restaurant is in Shri Lanka, what not to eat in Bora Bora.  What vaccinations are required for travel to Africa? What are the best haunts in San Francisco?  The possibilities are endless!

Sue told me about a little beach and Inn on the Italian Rivera called Eco del Mare. The olive oil, jam, vegetables, fruit there all comes from the farm. The owner sits at her desk smoking a cigarette and wonders why you are not booking your next trip.  She spoke about eating local fish and drinking wine. I ached to go there.

"Get me out of here," I said. Take me to a beach too!

Ask Sue any of your travel questions at https://www.facebook.com/SuePetersonTravelProfessional or at sue.peterson@avoyatravel.com and 845-920-8704.