UK Ferry Tickets

Spare a thought for the poor travel agent the next time you are passing one of their shops.

It has been well documented how many of them have seen a fall-off in business following the growth of the Internet, and retail outlets are far quieter than a few years ago.

On top of that, the popular agency chains are owned by big companies and have little choice in what they sell: their job is to promote the holidays of their parent tour operator.

Wages are also low – on average around £11,000 per year.

But the humble travel agent has always had the ‘educational’ to look forward to. This is an all-expenses paid week or so on some distant paradise island (or cruise ship), where the agent gets to know more about the product they are selling inbetween enjoying vast quantities of free food and drink.

The ‘educational’ was often the only thing that kept the poor agent going but, alas, it seems that even this pleasure is being taken away.

TUI, the biggest travel company in the country, which owns Thomson, has slapped a six-month ban on educationals after suffering a ‘difficult’ summer, where many people didn’t pay the full brochure price for their holiday.

The travel giant wants to cut back on unnecessary expenditure and so several trips have been put on the back burner.

This may only be a temporary measure, but if it saves a lot of money, who knows whether it will be extended? And, where the market leader leads, others follow.

It could further damage the travel agent’s business. How can he or she be expected to sell holidays they know little about?

A few short years ago, working in a travel agency was a highly sought-after position. It has never been the best paid post, but there was plenty of job satisfaction and tremendous perks.

But who would want to be an agent now?

Guest Article by Jeremy Skidmore

Tuesday, January 31st, 2006