What Consumers Should Look for When Choosing a Travel Advisor

Finding the right advisor is key to working toward ensuring a quality vacation experience. (Source: LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe)

A consumer’s choice in selecting a travel advisor can make or break their vacation experience – which is why it is crucially important that they choose wisely. We turned to the experts – veteran advisors – for some tips on how to do just that.

Ask for Recommendations

“Asking for recommendations from friends, family and colleagues is a good place to start,” said Claire Schoeder, an independent contractor with Elevations Travel. “Find out who they’ve used before.”

“It’s mainly about finding someone that’s knowledgeable and you’re comfortable with,” she added. “Talking about travel can feel like an intimate conversation. If you’re not comfortable sharing information then it’s not the right fit.”

Interview Prospects

“The initial conversation will tell you a lot,” said Richard Turen, managing director of Churchill & Turen. “How well do they communicate? Are they willing to understand your travel history, your health issues/concerns and whether or not you favor historical major sites or contemporary lifestyle touring?”

Luxury travelers, he said, would be well served to ask a “potential advisor to name the top two luxury cruise brands in the world and the top two luxury tour operators.”

Ralph Iantosca, owner of Iantosca Travel, suggested  travelers initiate a “conversation and interview the advisor before they jump in.”

He suggested asking these questions: What is their response time/turn-around time? What are their work hours? Do they have an assistant? Do they have professional liability insurance? What happens if travelers change the trip after it’s booked? Does the agent charge a fee if they need to cancel? Do they have an agreement that outlines their professional liability to the client and can the traveler have a copy prior to signing with the agent?

“Find out about what they know about the destination or the ship you want to sail with,” Schoeder said. “A five-star cruise line isn’t going to match with an agent who only sells contemporary lines.”

Assess Areas of Expertise

“Most importantly, if you are looking for a specific niche like destination weddings, river cruising in Europe, etc., make sure that the agent you select is an expert in this niche,” said Sarah Kline, owner of Time for Travel.

“A client should inquire about their experience in that destination and familiarity with the different resorts,” said Kim Goldstein, president of Journeys Inc. “While advisors can’t travel to every destination that they book, having extensive connections and resources is invaluable. A well-connected travel advisor brings added value through exclusive promotions, insider recommendations and a smooth planning process.”

Travel advisor working with clients. (Photo Credit: Svitlana/Adobe)

She added, “It’s also important to consider their ability to customize and personalize the travel itinerary to suit the client’s individual vision. This can generally be achieved when the travel advisor has a vast network of destination-specific connections.”

Conduct Internet Searches

“Some easy ways to determine if your travel advisor is experienced is to look at their years in the travel industry, Google reviews and their individual industry awards and recognition,” Goldstein said.  

“Look at their social media – what do they post?” suggested Ralph Iantosca, adding that travelers should also peruse agents’ personal bios. “Look at their own interests and whether they are similar to yours,” he said. “If the traveler has similar interests as the advisor, the personal connection will be better.”

“Some easy ways to determine if your travel advisor is experienced is to look at their years in the travel industry through Google reviews,” Goldstein said, which will help the traveler uncover the advisor’s individual industry awards and recognition.

“Many advisors work for large agencies with hundreds of advisors, so these awards may be at the agency level, but make sure the individual has the desired experience and recognition by their travel partners,” she said. 

Look for Accreditations, Awards

“Checking out an advisor’s professional credentials is important, and is often overlooked,” Iantosca said, adding that consumers should ascertain if advisors have achieved such designations as The Travel Institute’s Certified Travel Advisor (CTA) and Destination Specialist (DS) designations. “Do they belong to any top producer circles, like Four Seasons Preferred, Belmond Bellini or Marriott Stars?”

For her part, Kline suggested consumers check to see if the advisor is “ASTA verified or works for an agency in good standing with industry accreditations.”

In the end, Turen noted that the typical upscale international traveler “will spend more on average, with their family travel planner than they will with their family physician.”

“Travel is not real estate,” said. “These are some of the most important moments of one’s life. If your travel advisor is not capable of really knowing you well – like a family member – move on.”

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