I know all of us enjoy a relaxing, soothing, peaceful, and tranquil vacation. Imagine yourself lying on a beach with the hot sun beaming down, sand being sifted between your toes, sound of waves crashing, and a slight breeze running through your hair. Sounds like a dream, correct? Although now-a-days students have no understanding of what it was like to plan a vacation in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. Some kids don’t realize what a travel agent is or what their job is. We just know that to plan a vacation we find everything on the internet. Before the internet, it was challenging to gain access to different vacation hotels and activities. These days you can have your whole itinerary laid out before you even step foot on the plane.
In the 1980s it wasn’t easy for the average person to research vacation spots, book flights, hotels, and find attractions along the way. Information wasn’t available instantly. A travel agent had to call various places and find out availability and rates. Now it’s all at our fingertips. When you arrive in a new place and don’t know where to stay? A hotel room is just a click away. Hungry for some local food and don’t know where the best place to eat is? Search for reviews on your Smartphone. Can’t communicate with the locals? Google translator comes to the rescue. We’ve long ditched the paperback guidebook for our lightweight Smartphone’s that are loaded with everything. Right now we have the most up-to-date information possible.
My mom said that when she had to plan her honeymoon they used a travel agent. She had to call her travel agent multiple times to figure out all the details. She asked them about booking a hotel, car, and flights. She would then have to wait a couple of days before the travel agency called her back to tell her what they had available.
The reason travel agents often took days to help book a trip is because of the research. They had some pamphlets ready in the office, but anything beyond that required more research. Clearly it was an intensive process that is no longer necessary.
Having someone take care of the details is nice, but you don’t know the options or make the choices. Technology has rendered the process easier. The effects of these technological changes in travel are pretty easy to see. So students be thankful that you now have the internet that makes planning vacations a whole lot simpler and not an annoying hassle.
In the 1980s it wasn’t easy for the average person to research vacation spots, book flights, hotels, and find attractions along the way. Information wasn’t available instantly. A travel agent had to call various places and find out availability and rates. Now it’s all at our fingertips. When you arrive in a new place and don’t know where to stay? A hotel room is just a click away. Hungry for some local food and don’t know where the best place to eat is? Search for reviews on your Smartphone. Can’t communicate with the locals? Google translator comes to the rescue. We’ve long ditched the paperback guidebook for our lightweight Smartphone’s that are loaded with everything. Right now we have the most up-to-date information possible.
My mom said that when she had to plan her honeymoon they used a travel agent. She had to call her travel agent multiple times to figure out all the details. She asked them about booking a hotel, car, and flights. She would then have to wait a couple of days before the travel agency called her back to tell her what they had available.
The reason travel agents often took days to help book a trip is because of the research. They had some pamphlets ready in the office, but anything beyond that required more research. Clearly it was an intensive process that is no longer necessary.
Having someone take care of the details is nice, but you don’t know the options or make the choices. Technology has rendered the process easier. The effects of these technological changes in travel are pretty easy to see. So students be thankful that you now have the internet that makes planning vacations a whole lot simpler and not an annoying hassle.
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