For 50 years, our company, 4 Seasons Vacations, has helped people make all kinds of travel arrangements, from simple airline tickets to around-the-world cruises. With the Internet becoming so popular and travel-oriented, many predicted the end of the travel agency business. We have found that, though initially popular, the Internet has actually encouraged people to use our services. Our clients are wanting someone like 4 Seasons to help them with the confusing and expensive choices to be made. The Internet travel sites are a good tool for information, but a travel agency is a valuable tool for knowledge. We have provided that knowledge to many, many thousands since 1967, and that is something that online travel services simply do not provide.

For example, one of our tour directors has been on 13 Panama Canal cruises alone, and that’s just the Panama Canal. Think of the knowledge that exists with him and what knowledge he can provide for someone wanting to go on a Panama Canal cruise or who just wants to visit the area. That is only one of our tour directors, and we have several working here.

At 4 Seasons you can almost be sure that no matter what your destination, someone that works here has been there or we have sent clients there in the past. I, myself, have visited Puerto Vallarta. Since they didn’t come to 4 Seasons to purchase their trip, they never got the chance to ask me the question that I could easily answer with several good restaurants that I know of and have been to. That is the difference between our travel agency and an online travel service — knowledge and the willingness to share it with our customers.

We also have a relationship with travel suppliers that has existed for years. For instance, if you make a reservation for Delta Vacations online and you need extra help in a situation, who would you ask? Who would be your connection to the tour company? Four Seasons has worked with these suppliers for 50 years and has again sent thousands of clients their way, which translates into us being a very large customer for theirs. So we know who to ask and what to ask, and when we do they do all they can to help and provide extra services since we have been working with them so long and provided them with so many clients. We are your spokesman and connection to suppliers for every trip you take.

Our travel agents are always working hard on our clients’ behalf on every trip we sell. That means we are searching for the best price and the perfect vacation, tour or cruise every time. That is the personal touch we provide and one of the many reasons we are valuable in today’s marketplace. We provide tailored recommendations suited for every individual client and ask pertinent questions to assure that we are finding just the right thing, every time. Again, let me stress that our travel agents have visited the most popular destinations and help our clients find the specific activity, restaurant or ground package that suits them on each individual vacation.

So is a travel agency or tour company obsolete? Not if they provide the valuable service that 4 Seasons does. Give us a call or an email the next time you are thinking about a vacation, and learn what good service and knowledge can do to make your trip the best one ever!