Traditional travel agents still flying high

Booking a trip using a website can be convenient, but going that route isn't likely to help find a seat for a cello.

It's those types of situations, said one Wichita travel professional, that will likely keep the brick-and-mortar travel agency business model afloat.

"Did you know you need to have a seat on a flight for a cello?" said Devin Hansen, president and co-owner of Sunflower Travel, which has locations in Wichita and Derby. "I booked a trip to Shanghai for a lady and her cello once.

"This cello was built in 1875 – it's worth more than my house. Trust me, she wanted to make sure it was sitting beside her. Dealing with China, you have to have passports and names. We made up a name for the cello."

While not everyone will want to lug around a large musical instrument on a trip to Asia, the idea is that a traditional travel agent can help with the many details that go along with a vacation, a weekend getaway, a destination wedding or a corporate trip.

In an era of convenience-centered phone apps and do-it-yourself travel websites, Hansen said there's still a place for the traditional agent.

Whether it's a salt museum tour in Yoder or a Hawaiian cruise, everybody goes somewhere.

Devin Hansen, co-owner of Sunflower Travel

"There's room for everybody," Hansen said. "Whether it's a salt museum tour in Yoder or a Hawaiian cruise, everybody goes somewhere.

"The agents that can do the things that some people either can't do or don't want to do, those are the agents that will stick around."

Mom-and-pop model

Jay Dill, who owns The Travel Junkie with his wife, Becca, said he has to fight the perception that the model for their business is antiquated.

"A lot of people have gotten to the point where they don't call themselves travel agents anymore," Dill said. "They'd rather be called specialists or travel professionals.

"There's a lot of information out there these days, but information isn't necessarily knowledge. I could get on E-Trade and make some stock trades, but I wouldn't do that for my long-term investments – I'd go to a stock broker."

One of the big misconceptions, Dill said, is that it costs more to book through an agent, something that he said isn't usually true with The Travel Junkie.

"We get paid on the back end by our suppliers – resorts, cruise lines, hotels, rental car companies," Dill said. "They kick us back a commission; we don't get a commission from our clients.

"If your CPA offered to do your tax return for free, why would you try to do it yourself?"

Trish Dedamos, owner of Just 4U Travel in Wichita, said it also helps to have a niche in a market that can get watered-down.

There's a lot of good information out there, but it can confuse people, which is why they come back to us.

Trish Dedamos, owner of Just 4U Travel

"Put in a Google search for 'Caribbean beach vacation' and see how many hits come up," said Dedamos, who runs her business out of her home. "There's a lot of good information out there, but it can confuse people, which is why they come back to us.

"I think all the travel agencies have things that they're good at. It certainly helps if you have a niche, but this isn't a high-paying industry. We do this because we like to help people."

On the money

While owning a small travel agency isn't likely to make a person a millionaire overnight, Americans do spend a lot of money on travel.

In 2014, nearly $645 billion was spent by domestic and international travelers in the United States, according to the U.S. Travel Association industry trade group.

Whether it is Americans visiting the states or travelers from abroad, tourism is big business in the U.S. and beyond. Travel, though a broad category, is among the top 10 industries in 49 states in terms of employment, according to the association.

In addition to making most – if not all – of their money on the back end, Dedamos said it's also very much in the agent's interest that clients have a great time.

"We basically have access to the same information that everyone has, but a good travel professional is there to make sure all the I's are dotted and the T's crossed," Dedamos said.

$645 billion Spent on travel in the U.S. in 2014

Dill noted that being knowledgeable about the travel industry also includes having first-hand experiences at the destination when possible.

"That's part of the job," Dill said. "We travel to many of these destinations, so we know what we're talking about.

"If you're booking it yourself, you're doing it wrong. It's just that simple."

The other side

On the other side of the spectrum, Travelocity is a space where a customer can book a trip in their living room at 2 a.m. or on their smartphone from just about anywhere.

Keith Nowak, a spokesman for the Expedia-owned website, said the industry is so massive, everyone in the marketplace has a chance to be successful.

"This is a huge industry," Nowak said. "It's trillions and trillions of dollars globally.

"Different people have different preferences. They might want to do things themselves or they might want someone to hold their hand through the process."

Nowak added that some people will jump back and forth from the online do-it-yourself model to the guided model, depending on what type of travel they're planning. Nowak and Dill both noted that online travel sites are travel agencies, too, which some people don't realize.

Another travel option that has quickly become popular in recent years allows people to bypass the middleman completely. The service Airbnb allows travelers to do business with a homeowner or leasee to rent space during a stay.

People, especially millennials, are much more into experiences.

Keith Nowak of Travelocity

"People are traveling differently today," Nowak said. "People, especially millennials, are much more into experiences. Part of that is to stay somewhere different and unique."

People also might want the more hands-on approach of a travel agent when planning a trip to a nontraditional destination. These are the anti-Cancun destinations, which could include a place like the more accessible nation of Cuba or the newly affordable, according to Dill, Dominican Republic.

Speaking for his own business, Hansen said he thinks brick-and-mortar travel agencies will be around for the foreseeable future.

"I've been in the business for 30 years," Hansen said. "Our demographic at Sunflower is a little bit older, so we deal a little bit more with the baby boomer generation, which controls a lot of money now.

"These folks are going to be planning trips and taking their grandkids on vacations. That cycle will continue for at least 10 or 15 years.

"I think there will always be a place for those niche markets where people want an advocate."

These are the top leisure travel activities for U.S. domestic travelers.

1. Visiting relatives

2. Shopping

3. Visiting friends

4. Fine dining

5. Going to the beach

Source: U.S. Travel Association

These are the top five mistakes people make when booking their own travel arrangements.

1. Not reading terms and conditions

2. Failure to understand destination laws, rules

3. Not taking into account seasonal weather patterns

4. Having really long flight connection times

5. Not knowing where the airport is and how long it takes to get there

Source: Trish Dedamos, Just 4U Travel

Source: Traditional travel agents still flying high