Today, more and more people are engaging travel and trip planners to provide advice for their travels.
Why? I will share the top 10 reasons in today's article.
Before that, please allow me to share my own story.
In 2005, when I decided to go New Zealand for my university education.
Someone advised me to engage a New Zealand travel planner, which cost me over 100 bucks (can't remember exact figure) then.
My first thought was "Woah! That's expensive! Just for 1-2 hours of conversation!" I was a young and naive 22-year-old then.
Since no one I knew had stayed in New Zealand, and only a few of my friends went there for holiday.
Well, I did my own research on internet, but wasn't too sure what I should be looking out for.
As you might have guessed, I paid for the service.
Felt the pinch.
*ouch* On the hindsight, I am really glad that I engaged the New Zealand travel planning services.
After meeting some friends who engaged travel planners, those who had 'prior advice' adapted and settled more smoothly than those who didn't.
Recently, I went for a short business trip to China.
Luckily, my friend had visited China once.
It was a last-minute trip, and not well-planned, to put it mildly.
Thankfully, we met wonderful Chinese locals who helped us heaps and had a safe trip.
Top 10 Reasons Why We Engage Travel / Trip Planners Today: 10) We only have 24 hours a day.
By outsourcing, I have more time to focus on things that are important in my life.
Same reason why we take cab/taxi, to save the time spent travelling on buses and trains.
9) Online information is free.
It is not necessary reliable, or perhaps, they just omit the teeny-weeny important detail.
Water is 'free' from the tap, why do people still pay for bottled water? 8) Researchers suggested that there are estimated 30,000 messages directed at you daily.
Assuming you are doing an hour of research, that's 1,250 messages.
How do you know which is right and which is a twisted fact? 7) Maybe, one day in the distant future, everyone would have visited every country.
But before that, we need to share the knowledge with one another.
6) Safety is top priority.
One incident is enough to change your life.
Better be safe than sorry.
5) Heard this comment before: "Why go to a doctor when you can research online? Same applies to travel.
" Simply put, for assurance.
4) Pleasant surprises are welcome! Like learning about a new culture, hearing different languages and accents, and sampling new cuisines.
Culture shock, language barrier and unpalatable food are better avoided.
3) Common belief that travel planners plan your entire trip and you must follow it or else things go haywire.
The truth is, they provide information that is customised for you, which friends/travel agencies/computer software/internet don't.
2) As Benjamin Graham said: "Price is what you pay.
Value is what you get.
" The world is exchanging values with money.
1) The unbiased opinion.
Most travel agents and agencies make the deal only when you decide to travel to the destination.
They will say everything wonderful about a country that they have never been to, just to convince you.
I have friends who engaged travel planning services to countries like Japan and United States.
Some even paid for the guide to go with them.
Expensive? Of course.
But the experience for their whole family is the value they paid for.