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Surprise: a place where travel agent usage is going up
While the number of IATA-approved agency locations in Canada is down, employment in retail travel agencies has risen by 11% since 1999.
Those figures come from the Conference Board of Canada’s Canadian Tourism Research Institute.
The group says agency locations have dipped 24% since 1999. But employment has gone up to 44,300 workers.
The largest growth areas: part-time and home-based agents.
“Travel agency operating revenues in 2005 are projected at %2.8 billion, averaging out to $63,600 per agency employee,” said OpenJaw. That compares with 1999 retail revenues of $2.4 billion.
The research also said more Canadians plan to use travel agent services this year, 67% versus 60% last year.
The research group attributes this in part to more Canadians planning Mexican/Caribbean trips rather than going to the US.
Canadians in the past have heavily used the internet for US trips.
The institute said in its report:
“Recent events such as the demise of Jetsgo in March, 2005 and the stranding of tourists in Cancun in October, 2005 have likely made travelers more concerned about having an agent to rely on in case of any problems.”
Report by David Wilkening
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