Why to choose honeymoon travel agents and how to select the professional

Added: 11/30/2005

It takes plenty of time to plan your honeymoon perfectly: you are to learn so much information about honeymoon destinations and honeymoon packages and make all these things correspond to your honeymoon budget that you should start your planning in advance. Honeymoon travel agents are of a great help here, though it can be a difficult task to find a good one. What can you do in this case?

The first question you should answer is why to choose honeymoon travel agents. Professional honeymoon travel agents provide their clientele with the best travel offers possible. Unfortunately, they are not able to control travel prices, but they can supply you with the exact information about the options that are available and about the particular products' quality as well.

Honeymoon travel agents will save you time and money, as they will first analyze all the promotions and all the aspects of your travel and recommended travel-related options. Second, many travel agents have extensive libraries of videos and guidebooks, as well as brochures that you can study. Most travel agents have an access to a computer database, where they can find the best offers along with the best prices. Obviously, honeymoon travel agents are better experts in the sphere of travel and tourism than you are, since traveling and honeymoons are their professional occupation. Finally, honeymoon travel agents also work as consumer advocates if there are problems with you travel. Therefore, your travel agent can better plan and organize your honeymoon than you will do it on your own. The best argument for using a travel agent honeymoon is that they take small fees for their services, as they are paid commissions by the airlines, hotels and tour operators.

Nevertheless, the problem is that it is not that easy to find a professional, since very few travel agents specialize in honeymoons. The travel agents to be recommended in the USA are ICTA (Institute of certified travel agents) and ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents). In the UK, there are the following options to consider:

• Altour International: Martin Rapp. The fee is based on the complexity of the trip and ranges about hundred and fifty dollars (1270 Sixth Ave., near 51st St., fifteenth fl., 212-897-5081)
• Humbert Travel Agency specializes in honeymoons-to Europe, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. No fee if you book the package, a cost for arranging stays at multiple hotels varies from fifty to hundred dollars(545 Madison Ave., at 55th St., tenth fl. , 212-688-3700, humbertravel.com)
• International Tours & Cruises offer to set up a honeymoon registry, where wedding guests can contribute to a fund for the trip. The agency also makes for you personalized video of your honeymoon with pictures set to music. No fee (184 Fifth Ave., near 22nd St., fourth fl., 212-242-2277).
• Nicmac Travel: Peggy Knipp specializes in trips to Hawaii, Europe and the Caribbean. The fee is up to hundred dollars per person (29 Broadway, at Morris St., Ste. 2310, 212-840-7800).

Choosing your travel agent, also use your friends' and family's recommendations. Ask your friends about the travel agency they used for their honeymoon planning and whether they were satisfied by their choice. Check industry designations of the travel agency. The highest designation in the travel industry is the CTC (Certified Travel Counselor) designation that indicates that the travel agent has been in the industry not less than five years and has an appropriate training and education in the travel niche.

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