This affects the High Street shops.
A lot of people think this is about the ‘internet being cheaper’, but it's not.
In general it's about the travel agency chains failing to invest in proper staff training for the high street shop staff, and to pay the type of salaries that would attract professionals, so that they could provide the type of professionalism and advice that you can’t get from the internet.
There is, and always will be, a place for bricks and mortar travel agencies as there are many trips that cannot be booked online, and where the professionalism of a proper travel agent cannot be replaced by the internet.
The type of staff that they employ in their high street shops are largely untrained poorly educated Traceys and Kevins (with apologies to people have those names!) who have often never travelled further than Blackpool or Majorca.
Sad but true. This is something I have been professionally involved with on several levels.
Last edited by Capetonian; 6th Mar 2013 at 17:27.