Source: Ev0luti0nary at flickr
Hi there. My name is Scott and I currently live in Toronto. Would you like to be friends?
I don’t just mean Facebook friends – although we can be that if you want. I mean, when I come to your little corner of the world, can we go get a beer? Can you tell me a bit about your town and why you love it so much? Show me something I might not see if I stuck to the beaten tourist path? In return, I’ll tell you about my life and my world. I think it would be a lot of fun.
Or if you’re planning to come to Toronto, or are already here, send me a note. I’ll meet you for dinner sometime, tell you about Toronto. Show you something you haven’t seen. And ask you about where you’re from. Let’s be friends.
September 10th, 2009
Scott
Source: ?o??ƒx™ at flickr
Online travel really exploded in the past 10 years. Whereas it used to be quite common to use a travel agent to book vacations and trips, nowadays most people manage their own travel plans to the point where the travel agency business is feeling the financial strain. The Internet has changed up many a business model, and travel has certainly been affected in a big way.
But perhaps the pendulum has swung too far? Is it possible there will soon be demand for someone who is an expert at managing complex travel arrangements again, and people would be willing to pay a small premium for that? It’s certainly an interesting thought.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of online travel as it exists today.
Pros #1: Cheaper
It’s certainly easier than ever to get the best price. There are online travel sites that monitor a particular route and email you when the price drops (Bing Travel). There are online travel sites that compare all the major airlines to find the best price (Expedia). There are last minute sites (Travelocity Last Minute Deals). Sites that specialize in packaged vacations (TripCentral). Sites that allow airlines and others to underbid each other for your business (PriceLine). There are a lot of options for the traveller trying to save money, and they get better every year.
It’s fair to say the single largest benefit to online travel booking has been how much easier it is to get a good price. Consumers have never before had so many options when it comes to getting the best price on travel.
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