P.E.I. travel agents say many factors behind rising demand for their services - Action News
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PEI

P.E.I. travel agents say many factors behind rising demand for their services

From the resurgence of travel delayed by COVID, to horror stories of flight disruption and lost bags, to Islanders looking to get away during the upcoming Canada Games all these factors are pushing travellers toward agents who can troubleshoot their issues.

'I've been in this for 40 years and it's the busiest I've ever been,' says one agent

An electronic board at an airport displays a list of flight times, showing delays.
More and more travellers are seeking the guidance of travel agents to navigate their bookings due to several factors, including disruptions related to an unprecedented surge in pent-up travel demand. (Patrick Semansky/The Associated Press)

Travel agents on Prince Edward Islandsay they're seeing a growing demand for their services due to factors affecting the travel industry dating back to when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

George Stewart, owner of Travels by George, said the increase in his business has him receiving at least 10 referrals a week, on top of clients who already have him as their agent.

"I've been in this for 40 years and it's the busiest I've ever been," he said. "That kind of gives you a little bit of an idea of how many people are looking for an agent."

From the resurgence of travel due to loosened public health measures, to flight disruptions, missing baggage and labour shortages all have continued to push travellers toward travel advisors who can troubleshoot their issues.

On P.E.I., the sheer volume of people booking getaways during the two weeks ofthe upcoming Canada Games is adding pressure in a traditionally slow season of travel.

And with tourism expected to kick into high gear once again this summer, some travel agents are anticipating this year to be even busier than 2022.

More than one reason

Stewart said he first saw the influx of new people wanting an agent's services when the spread of COVID-19 began to affect air travel. Some passengers with no agent sought hishelp when they couldn't reach either the airline or the third-party platform they had booked with, once flights started being cancelled.

"That's basically what an agent does," he said. "They're basically your ombudsman, they're [the] in-between person that deals with the airline or, you know, your hotel, car rentals, et cetera."

Luggage and bags are pictured at YVR International Airport after multiple delays due to weather in Richmond, British Columbia on Wednesday December 21, 2022.
Travel agents say passengers' frustration related to delayed or lost luggage can be offloaded to advisors who can access special lines to deal with the problem. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Pauline Solomon, owner of The Travel Store in Charlottetown, agrees that widespreadstories of negative travel experiences in recent months, including social media posts about long-delayed or lost luggage,may be pushing people to book with agents instead.

But she also points to the Canada Games,with people calling her agency from as early as March break last year to book trips during the two-week break that starts when the P.E.I.-hosted event begins Feb. 18.

She also said travellerswhoseplans were disrupted during the early days of the pandemicare now cashing in their travel credits. That is in addition to the people who have saved and waited until recently to splurge on dream trips this year.

Anyone working in travel at whatever level, or in whatever job, knows that there's a shortage of staff, shortage of human resources right now. Pauline Solomon, owner of The Travel Store

Solomon said travel advisorshave the advantage ofsupport lines not available to the general public, and can immediately pass on alerts about flight disruptions often while passengers are still in the air on the first leg of their trip.

"If something goes wrong, if changes have to be made, that kind of thing, we can often leverage our access or our relationships with some of the representatives of the tour companies," said Solomon.

She said travellers can also save time, since part of an agent's job is to wait on hold with airlines sometimes for hours on behalf of their clients.

People looking to book vacations off-Island during the two weeks of the Canada Games are adding to the demand P.E.I. travel agents are seeing. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)

But Solomon said a severe labour shortageacross the country remains a challenge.

"Anyone working in travel at whatever level, or in whatever job, knows that there's a shortage of staff, shortage of human resources right now," she said.

Solomon said experienced employees at her agency have been trainingnew hires since last summer to deal with the anticipated travel demand.

"This being their first really big winter is,in itself, a real eye-opener and a real learning experience," she said.

"I think if they get through this year, they'll be well set."

With files from Angela Walker