Trendspotting: Travel Agents Are Making a Comeback

NewsWire: 4/24/21

• Travel agencies of all sizes are seeing business soar as Americans begin to travel again. With so many pandemic-related restrictions to navigate, the complexity of planning a basic trip has many new clients seeking help. (The New York Times)
• NH: A few months ago, we pointed out that some luxury travel agencies had turned to membership models to keep their businesses going in an era of hugely reduced travel. (See “Is the Future of Travel and Leisure Members-Only?”) Now, with vaccinations open to all adults, business is picking up again industry-wide.
• But thanks to Covid-19, travel is much more complicated than it used to be. People need to navigate a constantly changing maze of restrictions. Different states, countries, airlines, and lodging all have their own testing requirements and safety protocols. Many businesses and tourist attractions remain closed. What’s a frazzled traveler to do?
• Enter travel agents. According to a March poll conducted by the American Society of Travel Advisors, 76% of travel agents are seeing an increase in customers in 2021, compared to before the pandemic. Fully 80% have been contacted by travelers who have never worked with an agent before.
• It’s a welcome shot in the arm for an old industry, which is hoping to recapture some of the momentum it built up before the pandemic hit. Pre-2020, travel agencies were seeing newfound interest from Millennials looking for VIP experiences. Now they’re getting inquiries from people of all ages who just want to book their first pandemic-era vacation without getting a headache.

Did You Know?

• Home Injuries Are on the Rise. In the Covid-19 era, Americans are spending more time at home than ever. Many have picked up new hobbies (remember the baking frenzy?) or embarked on long-delayed home improvement projects. And according to a recent study in the journal Injury Epidemiology, that’s translated into a lot of falls, strains, sprains, and burns. More than a quarter (26%) of roughly 2,000 respondents reported a household injury between March and June 2020. That’s up from the 14% of people who reported getting injured in the previous three months in a 2017 national survey. Falls were the most common injury, reported by 32% of respondents. Other causes included getting cut by something sharp (11%), running into someone or something (9%), ingesting medications (6%), getting burned by a hot object (5%), and being hit by an object (5%). Not surprisingly, households with children were significantly more likely than those without children to report both injuries and accidental ingestions.