For many, “travel agent” sounds like an anachronistic job title, conjuring images of shoulder pads and strip malls, corded telephones and desktop computers with cathode-ray tube monitors. Indeed, ever since the advent of online booking, travel industry watchers have been predicting the demise of traditional travel agents. But in reality, travel agencies are still estimated to be a $72 billion industry in the United States alone, and upwards of $450 billion globally. Travel agents haven’t disappeared, many have just swapped the drab offices and chunky monitors for ring lights and smartphones.
Increasingly, influencers have become a new breed of travel agent, helping us decide where to go and what to do when we get there. On TikTok alone, the “travel” hashtag boasts more than 182 billion views. Over on Instagram, 695 million posts bear the same tag. Even search giants like Google are realizing that around 40% of users aged 18-24 are looking to TikTok or Instagram first for inspiration.
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All that content is great for general inspiration, but the industry is lacking some crucial infrastructure to make it actionable. Influencers still need an