Why our planning fees save travelers money
Written by Madeline Jhawar
When I founded Italy Beyond the Obvious 10 years ago this year (happy decade to us!), I had no idea what to charge. I didn’t understand how The Travel Industry worked, and the more I googled it, the more daunting it seemed. I wanted to give Italy advice to travelers and get paid for it. So I asked myself:
how much would I have to charge in order for this to be worth my time?
As I’ve learned more about the behemoth that is The Travel Industry over the past decade, I’ve come to understand that my initial approach is not only simple, but it actually costs our travelers less compared to booking through a travel agent. In order to understand why, you need to understand how travel agents make money and how we make money.
The customer contacts the travel agent.
The travel agent contacts a Tour Operator, who puts together the hotel, tours, and logistics.
The Tour Operator may pull in a local destination specialist.
The Destination Specialist will book with local guides and drivers.
Written by Madeline Jhawar
Italy Beyond the Obvious will help make your trip truly memorable. Take advantage of our Italy trip planning services for a customized itinerary.
