President Obama has now ruffled the feathers of the travel agent community, implying that they are now obsolete, taken over by on line travel sites. At a town hall meeting in Atkinson, IL, the President stated:
"One of the challenges in terms of rebuilding our economy is businesses have gotten so efficient that--when was the last time somebody went to a bank teller instead of using the ATM, or used a travel agent instead of just going online? A lot of jobs that used to be out there requiring people now have become automated."
The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), fired back with a letter to the White House, reporting that the U.S. travel agency industry "is comprised of nearly 10,000 U.S.-based travel agency firms operating in 15,000 locations. We have an annual payroll of $6.3 billion. Most importantly, our businesses produce full-time employment for more than 120,000 U.S. taxpayers."
That workforce is fairly large these days, particularly considering the many people unemployed and maybe wish they had one of those 120,000 jobs. Yes, it is true that on line travel sites have changed the way people around the world make airline, car, hotel, and cruise reservations. Travel agents have had to make major adjustments to stay in business, and stay viable in the travel world.
Many travel agencies have closed their doors with the constant changes, but those who have stayed are changing with the times and offer a valuable service to their clients. Remember, ASTA's motto, "Without a travel agent, you're on your own."
As a travel agent, what is your reaction to the President's remarks?
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