Benefits of booking with a travel advisor

May is National Travel Advisor Month, so Jen Maki with Divine Destinations broke down some of the benefits of booking with a travel advisor.

“I think if anybody out there has noticed how expensive things have gotten, they may consider working with a travel advisor because we can actually save money,” Maki said. “A good travel advisor will save you money in ways that you never even thought were possible.”

She said not only does it potentially save money but also time.

“USA Today ran an article that said that the average time spent researching a vacation is now 19 hours,” she said.

Maki says especially when people book online, there’s no guarantee the experience will be as it looked.

“A good travel advisor travels. Therefore, they’ve been there and seen that. And with that insight or information on that resort, the destination, the cruise line, they’re going to be better equipped to advise the client if it’s a good fit for them because they’ve actually been there themselves,” she said.

Plus, agencies like Divine Destinations locally offer payment plans. To find a travel advisor who is a good fit for you, she suggests asking around and then booking a complimentary consultation call to get to know the person.

And you may need more help with some trips than others.

“Definitely if it’s your first time in a while, if it’s international for sure, and if it’s a new destination that you’ve never been to or it includes a big, complicated itinerary with multiple components and moving pieces,” Maki said. “Now something like, I want to go to Vegas for three nights, I mean, really, honestly, anybody can do that. And I’m sure a travel advisor would help you with that too, but look to a professional when it’s a bigger, more comprehensive trip.”