Tours and Travel

Travel agents are indispensable resources for planning complicated trips, finding out the ins and outs of a destination, saving time, preventing travel headaches and getting the best value. However, each agent is different. Be sure that your travel agent is a good match for you by asking these questions.

1. What is the agent’s specialty?

An agent who narrowly specializes in a destination or certain products, such as cruises, can provide solid advice that will be crucial to booking a rewarding, problem-free trip.

Does the agent specialize in adventure tours or culinary trips? Does he or she frequently book groups? Is the agent a cruise expert? You wouldn’t go to a podiatrist to treat a toothache. The same concept goes for travel agents. If you’re traveling to the Caribbean, work with a Caribbean travel specialist.

2. Has the agent traveled to your destination?

There’s no substitute for first-hand knowledge. An agent who has actually traveled to the place where you want to go will know first-hand about the activities in which you plan to participate and the hotels in which you plan to stay. An agent who has been to the destination can make informed recommendations to steer you in the right direction.

3. What are the agent’s fees?

Agents may charge a fee for each service, such as a flight, charge a flat rate, or earn a commission. Expect to compensate the agent for his or her time, advice, planning expertise and work. Still, it is a good idea to find out the fees and deposits up front so there are no surprises.

4. Does the agent have special relationships with travel suppliers?

Travel agents can often get you perks that are not available to the general public or published on the Internet. Hotels, car rental agencies and tour companies often make perks such as upgrades, discounted parking, and express check-in available only to agents who have negotiated them or to agents who have elite status. Find out if your agent is one of them.

5. What happens if something goes wrong?

Inconveniences are sometimes unavoidable. A flight may be canceled; the weather may be uncooperative. Find out how your agent responds to problems when they occur and what his or her policies are. It is also helpful to pay attention to how the agent interacts with you. Is he or she easy to reach? Does the agent get back to you promptly when you call or email? An agent should be there for you even after the trip is booked.

6. What questions does the agent have for you?

Make sure that your travel agent has the right information about you to make the best recommendations. Also, choose an agent who is receptive to your priorities.

Even if you request something as simple as a four-day trip to Rome, you should be asked a number of questions from whether you prefer fine dining establishments or street vendors to what type of hotels you like best. In the end, you will be offered a trip that is the best match for you.

If you’re planning to fly out of Heathrow Airport, you have several options for booking your flight. You could rely on a travel agent to arrange your flight, book directly through an airline, or go through Internet booking sites. There are advantages to booking flights with each of these resources, and which one you choose will depend on your preferences and goals.

Booking Flights through Travel Agents

Prior to the development of the Internet travel industry, most people relied on travel agents to arrange their flights. People used to shop multiple travel agencies looking for a bargain, or they chose a travel agent based on service, reputation, or convenience of the agency’s location.

The biggest advantage of booking your flight through a travel agent is convenience. If you are interested in purchasing a flight from Heathrow to Boston and back and your primary goal is saving money, a travel agent may not be your best bet. But if you need to book not only a flight to Boston, but hotel accommodations, too, plus multiple flights and accommodations in other cities in the U.S. as part of a sightseeing vacation, booking through a travel agent makes sense.

Travel agents are paid commissions by airlines when they sell flights, so it is not always in their best interest to net you the cheapest possible flight. Of course, they want your business, too, so most travel agents work hard to try to provide customers with competitive airfares. Generally speaking, you may pay slightly more for your Heathrow flight by booking through a travel agent. But if you are short on time or planning much more than a basic round trip flight, paying slightly more will be worthwhile.

There’s another good reason to consider booking your flight with a travel agent when you’re planning a vacation. Travel agents are in the know about deals on rental cars, combination hotel accommodation and flight packages and other discount offers that can save you money on your trip. Some travel agents can even provide discounts on admission to tourist attractions in the destinations you plan to visit.

Travel agents are also very familiar with airports around the world, as well as airlines. They are able to spot potential problems and help you avoid them, which can help ensure your flight goes smoothly.

When travelers book their flights themselves online, nobody is there to advise them against a one-hour layover in Airport X when traveling from Heathrow. In reality, it could well be impossible to pass through customs, collect your luggage and travel to your next terminal in only one hour – especially if your flight is delayed and you arrive even a few minutes late.

A good travel agent will take into consideration all the factors that could affect your travel, including the seasons, the airlines you’re traveling and the airports you’ll pass through in addition to Heathrow. Although there may be no guarantees, if your flights are cancelled or changed by your airline, a travel agent may be much more likely to be able to arrange a suitable alternate flight than you would be able to on your own – especially on short notice.

These are just some of the many advantages of booking your Heathrow flight through a travel agent. If you do decide to book your flight through a travel agency, allow yourself plenty of time to shop around. Read all the “fine print” terms and conditions before you make a commitment to any travel agent, and pay close attention to guarantees and refunds in case you need to change or cancel your flight.

All About Green Travel

What exactly is meant by a phrase like Green Travel? Green Travel can mean anything from environmentally responsible motor cars to eco-friendly transportation fuels, to responsible eco-tourism options, sustainable travel or stays in hotels and facilities that are environmentally conscious.

Read on to find some great options on the Internet where you, the environmentally-responsible traveler, can enhance your knowledge and continue to seek the smartest, most planet-conscious choices available when you travel.

Why Green Travel Matters

Tourism, in contemporary times, is a tremendously growth-oriented industry, and is among the world’s largest, with spending figures estimated at over five hundred billion per year in recent years. Because of the overwhelming size of the industry globally, millions of people are employed within its ranks, and are therefore of great concern when it comes to responsible, eco-conscious decisions.

Such lofty statistics all begin with local, individual choices – where people spend their money when they travel, during their travel and the message that their actions send out to global populations. The impact of global travel, when geared toward the positive, can be terrific – including when tourism’s dollars go to the enhancement of local populations, or when travelers return home with a fresh take on other cultures, communities and environments, for instance.

How Tourism and Travel Become “Sustainable Tourism and Travel”

WTTC Associations such as the World Travel and Tourism Council in London, England, offer world travelers a wealth of information on sustainable and green tourism. The mission statement of the organization speaks to their goals: “Raising awareness of the importance of Travel & Tourism, promoting synergies between the public and private sector, generating profit as well as protecting natural, social and cultural environment [these] are the fundamental components of [their] mission, as outlined in the Blueprint for New Tourism.”

Whenever you travel, do what you can to extend the extra effort to ask questions about the businesses that service your trip: from hotels to tours to restaurants and more. Find out what you can about the impact of their businesses on the environment, in terms of both the physical and cultural aspects. No set of universal standards or guidelines currently exists to ensure that those in the travel and tourism industry world-wide operate according to environmentally conscious principles.

So What Is Ecotourism and Can It Help?

With a greater emphasis placed on the environment in general, travel and tourism has also felt the weight of the green revolution. The travel and tourism industry has sprung up in places where the natural environment remains in tact and available for one to experience first-hand. At its best, ecotourism is essentially nature travel – tourism of and cultivation of appreciation for the unadulterated vistas and landscapes of the planet.

Resources Available for Green Travel

ResponsibleTravel

At Responsible Travel, find “A hand picked directory of 1000s of stunning eco holidays run by 265 specialist tour operators and 100′s of accommodations. Use the site to contact the specialists directly to request more information. Book direct with the specialists to get the best price.”

The International Ecotourism Society (ecotourism.org)

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) offers that through “Uniting communities, conservation and sustainable travel,” they directly “promote responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”

PlanetA

Debuting in 1994, PlanetA is a pioneering website that provides tips for travelers and locals who share a vision of eco-friendly, people-friendly and place-friendly travel. They take a dynamic wiki view of the Web and appreciate their viewers’ helpful editorial suggestions and offer a yearly World Travel Directory.

Sustainable Travel International (sustainabletravelinternational.org)

The organization Sustainable Travel International has the following for its mission statement: “Promoting responsible travel and ecotourism, supporting sustainable development, and helping travelers and travel providers protect the cultures and environments they visit.”

Google Green Travel Search (services.google.com/earth/green/)

At Summer of Green, Google’s now legendary map service is powered to help Green travelers find what they need to in the way of environmentally conscious global travel, through the work of Earth Day Network. Find tips on traveling green this summer with keyword searches like “environmentally friendly hotel” rather than just “hotel.”

Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance says, “With more than 800 million people traveling each year, tourism is a growing source of revenue for people living in areas that are especially rich in plants and animals – and threatened with destruction. While tourism can lead to problems such as waste, habitat destruction and the displacement of local people and wildlife, it also has the potential to provide incentives for conservation.” Find out more through the tourism arm of their website.