The level of internet penetration in Nigeria and general usage has been increasing astronomically in the last few years. In recent surveys, internet users in Nigeria have risen from 200,000 in the year 2000 to more than 48 million by the end of 2012. What this means for travelers is that they can search and book travel deals from the comfort of their homes to any destination in the world. So why should I use a travel agent?

Just a couple of years ago, headlines were about the demise of the travel agent, about to go the way of the Dodo and the dinosaur. Guess what? Travel agents are not only still here, they are experiencing a rebound – despite (or because of) the myriad travel tools available online.

Some domestic and international airlines in Nigeria have encouraged travelers in the past to buy travel tickets and deals for discounted prices online. A particular case that caused some problems was that of Emirates Airlines, who continued to introduce cheaper fares for travelers online. These fares were cheaper than what any travel agent could offer travelers using any of the Global Distribution System (GDS). After series of meetings and intervention from the National Association of Nigerian Travelling Agencies (NANTA), Emirates Airlines decided to make some changes.

Aside the airline websites, there are many sites where travelers can compare prices for air tickets, hotels, cruises etc. These sites claim to have the lowest prices on everything you need to travel, and all the booking can be finished in a matter of seconds. But how do you know that you’re really getting what you’re signing up for?

Even with all of these technological advancements, some people continue to hire travel agents. While this may seem old-fashioned, there are some serious perks to working with an experienced agent.
What Is The Typical Training of a Travel Agent?

Travel agencies usually require agents to have a business or liberal arts degree from a four-year college or university. Many agencies also require their agents to be fluent in the language of the location they intend to specialize in. Most travel agents will also have extensive experience in customer service.

In addition to this, they also go through series of trainings and certifications provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the world’s governing body in the aviation industry.


What Does a Travel Agent Do?
At the most basic level, travel agents are salespeople. They need to be familiar with all the services their agency offers and be able to cater to their clients’ specific needs. Everything from travel dates to accommodation quality to cancellation policies and available transportation will be considered by the agent. They have many “insider” tips for different destinations and will be confirming each and every reservation made.

Travel agents book travel plans for everyone from honeymooning couples to large businesses. Some travel agents specialize in group ventures, such as tour packages or cruise vacations for a large crowd. Some specialize in certain geographical areas or one specific destination. Travel agents have unique relationships with vendors in order to help you get the best deals possible.

What Are The Benefits of Using a Travel Agent?

If you’re busy with work, kids, or school, you probably have little time left over to sit at the computer and search for travel deals. This is where hiring a travel agent can be invaluable. If you’ve never booked your own trip and have no idea where to start, a travel agent can be a lifesaver. By the way, if you are planning to start a travel agency in Nigeria, then you should check out tips here.

If you’re traveling abroad for the first time, a travel agent is a trustworthy source for all the small details you’ll need to consider, including currency conversion, cell phone use, passports, translation and medicine. If you’re looking to plan a complicated trip that involves multiple means of transportation and several destinations, a travel agent is definitely the right way to go.

Another benefit of using a travel agent is that you have a go-to person if things go wrong. If you miss a flight, get stranded or have trouble with transportation, your travel agent will be on call to help you out. Having a travel agent in your corner can especially help you out if you’re stuck dealing with terrible customer service from a car rental company or hotel concierge.

There are many, many more good reasons. But the bottom line is that they know more than you do, they are better connected than you, they have access to benefits you can’t get otherwise, they can often beat any other prices available (even online, yes), and after you have planned everything, they provide a safety net during your trip that you simply won’t get by booking yourself or buying insurance.

Having a top travel agent can also make you an instant VIP – free room upgrades, hard to get restaurant reservations, cutting lines, access to otherwise closed stores and exhibits, private guides, and cheaper – often much cheaper – premium airfares. Here’s the best part: even though most top agents charge fees, travel agents have saved travelers money, often a lot of money, thousands of naira, and in every case, more than paid themselves.

To be clear, we are talking about true experts, the really good travel agents who add value, not the ones running full page ads of deals in the newspapers. The best travel agents are essentially consultants, and many prefer “travel advisor,” because it is their advice, expertise, and connections that are of great value, not the ability to print airline tickets for you.

If you are traveling from Lagos to Abuja for instance, we don’t see any reason why you need a travel agent. In most cases, travel agencies that sell domestic fares to customers are probably doing so to keep the customers or to lure you into buying your next international travel deals from them. Take this from us, agencies don’t make “money” from domestic routes.

Nigerian Travelers’ Attitude
Why do many Nigerian travelers hardly respect travel agents? Yes, we asked this question because of our vast experience in the industry. A lot of customers who make enquiries are rude in one way or the other to travel agents. Some customers think they are superior to the agents and that they are well traveled. So when then do you need to call a travel agent if you know so much? Travel agents may not have traveled to many places but they have been trained enough to know about places they haven’t visited. If you are one of those customers, you might want to relax a bit.

What do you think? In the age of one click bookings and infinite information do you find it useful to hire a travel agent to plan and schedule your trips? Leave your thoughts in the comments!