Not long ago, the advent of online travel - allowing travelers to research and book their trips with a few clicks of a mouse - was thought to be a death knell for traditional travel agents. But faced with the increasing cost and unpredictability of travel today, vacationers seem to be returning to the fold.
Twenty-three percent of online leisure travelers in the United States say they would use a good offline agent if they could find one, according to
On the sites, travelers fill out forms describing the type of trip they're interested in (say, scuba diving in the Caribbean or a culinary vacation in Tuscany). The sites send those requests to agents who specialize in that region or type of trip. Travelers then receive e-mail alerts with up to three itinerary proposals from competing agents. Compete4yourseat.com, another matchmaking site, helps travelers connect with agents to find lower airfares. Travelers fill out a trip request form on the home page and once an agent bids on their requests, they can log in to view the deal.
Not unlike the online dating world, niche sites have begun to emerge. AdventureLink.com, for example, aims to connect travelers to adventure specialists, whether a tour operator or a travel agent. Though currently in test mode, it has 50,000 trips in its database that customers can search, and it plans to add travel agents this fall.
The new matchmaking services appeal to travelers used to doing Web research - but frustrated with online booking engines - while allowing agents, who have been squeezed by competition from online travel companies and commission cuts in recent years, to expand their reach and connect with new customers.
"We're combining offline personal travel expertise with the online world," said Brian K.Y. Tan, founder and chief executive of Zicasso.com, which went live in March, after a four-month test. Zicasso doesn't have a large number of agents in its roster.
"Our approach is about the quality of the travel companies and agents, not quantity," said Tan. Travel agent membership to Zicasso is invitation-only, and over the last two years, Tan and his wife, Yuchun Ku, say they have personally picked the 150-some agents and tour operators that are listed in the company's online network under "Explore." A major requirement, said Tan: "The agents who are selling that trip to X country need to have traveled there."
Zicasso forwards trip requests to specialists "whom we feel are the best personalized match," said Tan. Companies pay Zicasso a commission when a lead turns into a sale.
