Snohomish offers deals to visitors THE Snohomish County Tourism Bureau in co- operation with the Everett Area Convention and Visitor Bureau has - initiated a new seasonal discount coupon and cal- endar of events program. The 24-page booklet features discounts of up to 50% at over 40 hotels, “motels, B&Bs, attrac- _ tions, restaurants, fishing charters, river raft outfit- tess and shopping cen- “tres. The calendar includes a list of festivals, performing and visual arts, markets and muse- ums. Discounts and events are valid from Oct. 1, 1997 through March 31, 1998. To order a free dis- count coupon and calen- dar of events booklet, call the snohomish County “Tourism Bureau toll free at 1-888-338-0976 or e- mail your request to dis- “count@snohomish. org » : Mutual of Omaha, a pioneer in Canadian Travel Insurance offers HealthSelect™, the By Ellie Hender Contributing Writer THERE has been a fot of publicity in the last couple of weeks about the reduction of com- missions being paid to travel agents by the air- lines, Some agencies will see their revenues on the sale of airline tickets drop as much as 23%. In order to survive, travel agencies must change the way they do business and regret- tably, once again, the user wi be asked to pay. But let’s back up a bit and ask a very basic question. Is there really a need for travel agencizs to exist? As the recently installed president of UBC would say: “Think about it.” The airlines, it would appear, would rather sell direct to the public; travellers can make their own reservations on the Internet and electronic _ticketing is the way of the future. Do we really need a travel agency system? Are trav- el ageats worth a fee? For the sen 's north shore news majority of the travelling pub- lic, the answer is a resounding YES. Currently, 80% cf. airline tickets are sold through travel agencies. Why is thar? There are many reasons, not the least of which is that historically, travel agencies have provided extra services to their customers and added sig- nificant value to the process of booking a trip. But here are some more reasons that need to be appreciated: @ When you call a travel agency, you have access to the world, not just one airline. wWe ‘make it easy for our cus- tomers: one call to a travel agency can solve a variety of concerns — where to stay, how to get around, what to do, ete. @ Through an agency, you can book rental cars and hotels - often at rates not available directly to the public. @ We'll sift through the myri- ad of travel options to find the one that best suits your budget and time requirements. @ There are travel agencies located in every major com- munity. You can talk to a trav- el counsellor face to face. @ Travel counsellors save their customers time by maintaining Se 4. a 1S. ote ‘Emergency. Travel Medical Protection Plan providing travel security worldwide. ° + Emergency assistance anywhere in the world with Mutual of Omaha Assist > 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! ’-© Comprehensive coverage ° Affordable rates © Unparalleled customer service © Nomembership fee Mutual Omaha! Gasurance Company For information call: " “a. sad 4 f nere 320-1425 Marine Dr. West Van, B.C V7T 1B9 Tel: 926-4304 B.C Reg# 2624-6 Hagen’s Travel %, __ _ ‘Sa new wave of fun = 221-1433 Lonsdale Ave North Van, 8.C V7M 2H9 Tel: 980-8004 B.C. Reg# 2629-4 BHagen’s Traveime 47 TRAVEL Is there rea “The travel agency system has been built on personal relation- ships and most of the travellers who currently purchase their airline tickets through travel agencies wish to continue to do so.” individual files on regular trav- cllers and ensuring thar their references are noted on every ooking. @ We deal with our customers on a timely basis. Have you phoned an Y sirfine lately and not had to wait? B We offer unbiased advice and solutions to our, cus- tomers. We work hard to ensure that our customer pays the lowest fare available for his or her journcy. It’s ironic that the harder we work to save > you moncy, the fess we earn. & We know the quickest and least costly ways for travellers to get to their destinations and the entry requirements when they arrive. B Finally, it is our business. We are professionals in our field and there is no substitute for a well-trained, experienced trav- el counsellor. The following incident will demonstrate the valuc of using a travel agent. A gentleman, who had never dealt with us . before, came in asking to be ticketed on some reservations his wife had made. I looked at the file and asked why his wife had chosen this particular air- line for the trip. His reply was thar she had seen an ad for a great fare and had simply phoned direct. The reserva- tions she had made required a change of planes en route. I asked the customer if he knew that they could go on a non- stop flight for the same price. He didn’t. I saved them nearly five hours of precious holiday time! You can be sure that gendeman was happy he had come to 2, travel agency! The abilities of a full service travel consultant go far We've protected tens of thousands of Canadians over the age of 55 - here's what a few have had to say ... “T would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your prompt action with our recent claim and for being extremely helpful, courteous and friendly.” “We would like to express our appreciation for expediting our trip home by air ambulance. Your time and effort was indeed a great help.” “Being ill in a foreign country is frightening. However, | was coinforted by the prompt, efficient and helpful service provided by Mutual of Omuha. 1 will definitely use your company the next time I travel!” “People like you truly understand customer service” Excerpts from unsolicited letters received by Mutual of Gmaha a {isneyland. days for the price of two!* For Disneyland Make sunny Southern Califomia your next holiday destination. Experience the mountains, the beaches and a land with a masic all its own. And with a Disneyland Flex Passport you'll enjoy five consecutive Flex Passport and holiday package information, call 1-800-315-3824 or your travel agent. It’s time to catch the wave of fun at Disneyland Park. *Some restictions apply. www.disneyland.com ODisney [Ava], suaser pe -" Hagen’s Travel lily a need for agents? beyond those of most airline reservations agents whose business it is to know and sell a single product. Our in-depth knowledge of how the system works and what options are available to travellers has, in the past, always been freely given. We save our clients both time and worry because in many cases, we've been where they're going and it’s our busi- hess to ease the travel process. The travel agency system has been built on personal relationships and most of the travellers who currently pur- chase their airline tickets through travel agencies wish to continue to do so. They know and appreciate the extra value that travel agencies pro- vide and cannot imagine life without them. So think about who you will call when you have a prob- lem with an Internet booking. Think about whether you will ever be able to trace that air- line employee who told you your fare would be “X” but your credit card was charged for “Y"? Think about who you'll call when you're in a hurry ana haven’t time to wait on hold for three different air- lines to do a flight comparison. If you think about it, YES, there really is a need for travel agencies. Ellie Hender is a 25 year veteran of the travel agency business. She is a past president of the Canadian Institute of Travel Counsellors and bas served on various committees for ACTA-BC. Ellie is presi- dent of Travel Experts, a full service, independently-owned travel agency located in West Vancouver. ROSEWAY TRAVEL: TRAVEL CONSULTANT WANTED Established North Shore agency requires a senior / intermediate agent, prefer- ably with clientele. We are a busy Sabre/ADS equipped office that offers above aver- age salaries, excellent benefits & incentive programs. Please i fax / maii your resume to: Actn: Manager, Roseway Travel, #106-100 Park Royal South, ‘West Vancouver, B.C. V7T 1A2 Fax (604) 926-8008 B.C. Reg. No. 1060-3