Discussion:Overview:
Chapter of the course textbook describes Business to Consumer (B2C) E-commerce. Did you think that the travel agency business had gone the way of the dinosaurs given the ease of use and availability of online airline and travel search engine websites? Many travelers have abandoned using the "old school" travel agencies for purchasing airline tickets or making other bookings and have now taken up the practice of shopping for travel bookings on the Internet. However, according to a recent article in the Boston Globe, 25% of travelers are still using travel agencies and the percentage of mortar and brick users is once again climbing (Blair & Wright, 2016).
References
Blair, D., Wright, P. (2016, July 8). When and why you need a travel agent. Boston Globe. Retrieved from https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/travel/2016/07/07/when-and-why-you-need-travel-agent/dnZAIO5Lh3szeLUScMn2HM/story.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Question:
Is online comparative shopping for vacations and other travel all that it is "cracked up to be" or have consumers "lost out" using online shopping for travel when it comes to receiving the benefits of tips and suggestions that were once provided by travel agents with years of experience? Conduct research on the topic and answer the question by providing facts that support your position.