31% Of Premium U.S. Travelers Use Travel Consultants For Flight Booking

Voyagu, an AI-powered travel management platform, and marketplace polled 2,050 American premium travelers who booked at least one overseas trip in the previous six months and discovered that 31% prefer to depend on advisers.

Research findings from Voyagu indicate that more than one-third of American premium passengers prefer to use adviser services while traveling overseas. A survey was done between June and November of 2022 among wealthy U.S.-based overseas travelers aged 40 to 75 with a minimum net worth of $2 million.

All respondents had booked an international flight within the preceding six months and, on average, booked numerous flights each year. Annually, 57.4% of passengers booked 2-5 flights, 33.0% booked just one trip, and 5.1% booked five or more flights. The remaining 4.5% flew once every many year.

Participants in the poll acknowledged that obtaining human help and experienced management of unforeseen changes during the trip is one of the primary reasons they employ a travel adviser, in addition to the advantage of lower price. While the percentage of online self-service booking is still quite high at 69% and airline website reservations at 41.6%, when prices are similar, 31% strongly prefer to book through a travel agent.

“As travel demand shows no sign of decreasing, the role of agents is becoming more prominent, changing from a booking assistant into a travel-savvy expert who provides valuable tips as well as instant trip support and management,” says Ivan Saprov, CEO and founder of Voyagu. “A common myth is that using an advisor increases the trip price. If agents’ routine tasks are automated by tech solutions, travelers can enjoy invaluable advising services for the same or even lower prices than if they were booking the trip on their own.”

In addition, the survey indicated that there is no difference in booking with a travel adviser based on trip frequency or purpose and that there is no difference between men and women in this regard. The results are consistent with those of a previous poll commissioned by ALG Vacations, which revealed that 57% of U.S. adults thought they would benefit from having a professional manage unforeseen holiday concerns.

The poll also revealed that 54% of Generation X (years 42-57) and 48% of Baby Boomers (ages 58-75) would be receptive to receiving professional assistance. In 2021, the market for travel agencies in the United States was valued at USD 38.65 billion and is anticipated to reach USD 48.53 billion by 2022. International travel by U.S. citizens and a somewhat low growth risk score are the two key variables favoring this business. Trends in domestic overnight travel by U.S. citizens for leisure, business, or other reasons have a significant impact on travel agency income.