The cover of the June issue of Smart Money magazine, the magazine of The Wall Street Journal, features an article headlines "Forget Online, Travel Agents Get Better Deals." The article goes on to compare how today's agents are getting clients better deals and helping them find rooms even when many online travel websites show a sold-out hotel market. It's another indicator of how the tide has shifted in favor of travel agents and their services.

It wasn't all that long ago that I saw an editorial from this same magazine headlined "Ten Things Your Travel Agent Won't Tell You." It was more of the typical agent bashing, but also derided the online agencies as well -- just not to the same extent as the traditional agents. From reading that particular article, you'd think that traditional agents were crooks, liars and completely incompetent. That article appeared in 2003, about the time the naysayers were quick to write obituaries for all agents.

So it's interesting to see how times have changed. This time around Smart Money actually touts travel agents in its "Smart Spending" area of the magazine, which I felt was particularly apropos. Indeed, agents are adept at not only saving their clients' money, but also in getting value-added extras that are not available to consumers directly.

This was evident a while ago when I placed a "mystery call" to Regent Seven Seas Cruises. I was curious to see how the reservations agent would respond to a consumer who asked a bunch of questions, and when they were ready to book, mentioned they had a travel agent. I flat out asked her if I should book with her or my personal travel agent, and awaited the response. It was quick to come back. She told me that I should book with my travel agent, and that my agent would have access to promotions for shipboard credits, and possibly more, that she couldn't offer to me.

Regent Seven Seas wasn't the only supplier I called, nor the only one that recommended I contact my travel agent. They just had an agent who made it very clear that my best option was my own personal travel agent.

But back to that article….it will be appearing on newsstands later this month, in advance of its June cover date. It certainly doesn't get all of the details of how travel agents work exactly right…they never seem to do that! But it does paint a very favorable picture of travel agents with statements like "written off as dinosaurs not so long ago, agents are seeing a welcome bump in business, with the 2006 average weekly sales per agent location up 15 percent over the year before." I'll bet we'll see similar, if not greater increases, for 2007.

With 78 million baby boomers looking to travel, the travel industry is looking at a period of sustained, long-term growth in the years ahead. Travel agents have reinvented themselves to add value and expertise in the planning and purchase of travel. It's nice to see that magazines like Smart Money are recognizing the valuable role agents will play in this great travel boom ahead. How times have changed!

Mark Murphy
President & CEO
mmurphy@pmgemail.com