The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Travel Consultant When Taking a Family Trip

Some people love planning their travels, while others don’t and would rather hire a travel consultant. They just want to have fun without having to stress over all the small details. If you’re one of these people but aren’t sure whether or not you should get in touch with a consulting company in your area, then keep reading to see some of the pros and cons of these consultants.

Pros

The first thing that will be looked at is 3 of the pros of hiring one of these consultants. These are only a few of the advantages and there are quite a few more that aren’t listed here.

Possibility of Better Deals

Travel consultants have many connections and people in their network that average people don’t. This means that there are deals and packages that you won’t be able to get without going through one of these types of consultants. It might not seem like much, but it can be anything from special meal packages to extra freebies you can get once you arrive. You won’t really know until you talk to them, but they’ll be able to tell you what they can offer.

Simpler Process

Working with these types of consultants can make the entire process much simpler and easier. They’ll be able to set everything up for you, including: hotel, flight and ground transportation. Depending on what you’re looking for, they could also set you up with excursions and fun things to do. All you’ll have to do is confirm that you like the selections, sign and pay for the vacation package!

Knowledge

Often times, people planning vacations are going somewhere they’ve never been. This means they might not know anything besides what they’ve found online. The good thing about this is that consultants have quite a bit of knowledge of many different places. Not only will they be able to tell you which areas to avoid, but they can also tell you some little known activities! This can really keep you out of harm’s way and make the vacation one to remember!

Cons

There are also some cons of hiring travel consultants. Just like the pros, there are only 3 listed here and there could be more that you might want to pay attention to.

Extra Fees

When booking with consultants, you’ll end up paying extra fees that you wouldn’t pay if you were booking on your own. One of the biggest fees is the actual agent fee. These are different from place to place, but it’s normally $30 per person or more. You’ll also have to pay additional booking fees since you’re booking through the agency instead of through the actual companies.

Possible Pushiness

Since most consultants earn based on commission, there’s a chance that they might be pushy. If they have to sell so many things every month to make ends meet, they’re going to try and get you to buy as many things as possible. This can lead to you spending more money and possibly signing up for things that you really didn’t want to!

Less Control

Finally, working with consultants mean you’ll have less control over your vacation. Most of the time, you’ll give them your location, budget and any other specifics that are must-haves. They will then build you a vacation package based on that. Depending on what your must-haves are, there’s a chance that you’ll only be able to choose from 1 or 2 places and they might not be exactly what you’re looking for.

Now that you know some pros and cons of hiring a travel consultant, you’ll be able to decide whether or not you should contact a consulting agency. The final decision is up to you and it really can help you stay stress free and relaxed!