by Ron Smoak

Created on: August 01, 2009

Whether or not to use a travel agent to book your next vacation is a topic that many people have very strong feeling about; both pro and con. There are more arguments on on-line travel forums regarding this topic than nearly anything else. So what's the fuss?

In times past, if you wanted to go on a vacation that was beyond going to grandma's house, the first stop was your local travel agent. The agent was swimming in beautiful, full color glossy brochures showing some of the most beautiful getaways on earth. Whether it was Borneo or South Florida, your travel agent had a color brochure ready for you. You took all of these back home and the family sat around the dining room table ogling at the destinations, the beaches and the gorgeous photos. Fights would break out over where to go. Somehow mom and dad would get everyone on the same page, go down to the travel agent's office and book a vacation.

These days this can still happen but the Internet has added an almost infinite set of choices to those at your travel agents beck and call. The choices are nearly endless. One can browse literally thousands of web sites both for individual vacations spots or for middlemen who broker their vacation client's needs and put together a vacation package for you; an on-line travel agent so to speak. Some of these middlemen deal in very large numbers of vacationers and can offer a myriad of choices and prices.

So there are a few benefits to using on-line vacation middlemen:

1. A vast variety of vacation venues,

2. Huge variety of packages including travel fare, lodging and meals,

3. The possibility of very good prices.

It is very hard to knock any of these benefits. If you have been dealing with a small, local travel agent, you will see immediate benefits in these on-line dealers. They seem to have it all placed on a silver platter served up to you as you want it. Many of these on-line dealers offer quite nice incentives ($$) to book through them; incentives travel agents may not be willing or able to match. Because of the sheer number of vacations booked through an on-line dealer, their ability to drive down costs can be passed to you, their customer.

From the typical travel agent side this is actually hard to beat. Especially if you are working with a small, local agent. And if you do not mind doing the footwork, this is an excellent way to provide your family or friends with a super travel deal.

It certainly sounds like doing your

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