Traditional Travel Agencies Continue to Play Role in Today´s Tourism

The corporate travel industry has rebounded since the dark days following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States when business travel "was pushed off the cliff," said Cathy Keefe, spokeswoman for the Travel Industry Association of America. Business travel increased 4 percent in 2004 and is on track to climb another 5 percent this year, Keefe said.

"After 9-11, instead of traveling, many employees would use the telephone, video conferencing and other alternatives to travel," Keefe said. "But you can´t replace face to face contact and a handshake, and so business travel has been on the increase, but it´s still going to be another couple of years before we reach the record levels of 1999."

Online travel executives also believe in the importance of personal contact, and so they have tried to duplicate the greatest advantage offered by brick-and-mortar travel agencies: a real person who is accessible by phone and who helps work out unanticipated problems with travel.

The good news for online corporate travel services and brick-and-mortar companies is that there is plenty of room in cyberspace for everyone.

"The Internet certainly isn´t going away," said Keefe of the Travel Industry Association. "But, while more people are booking everything online, this doesn´t signal the demise of (brick-and-mortar) travel agencies. They´ve had to adapt, and many have done so admirably."