Relâche Spa
Majestic Atrium Environments
Make any occasion special with a resort credit up to $100 Whether a milestone celebration or the day you ran a mile, we’ll help make your getaway extra special by offering you a $50 resort credit per night up to $100 per stay. Experience something spectacular with our signature glass enclosed atriums filled with lush gardens and winding waterways. Luxurious spa treatments, delicious dining, unique shopping and fun entertainment options provide everything you need for a joyous occasion.
Book your getaway today!
GaylordOpryland.com or call (888) 677-9872 (refer to promo code ZJL)
Valid through December 30, 2014. Limited numbers of rooms available for this promotion. Offer does not apply to groups of 10 or more rooms. Offer cannot be combined with any other promotion. Limit One (1) $50 resort credit per night (maximum of $100 per stay). A stay is defined as consecutive nights at the same hotel, regardless of check-in/check-out activity. See website for complete terms and conditions.
10 | March 2, 2014 | DESTINATIONS
RY
In addition to being your advocate in time of need, consider the other benefits of using a travel agent: You’ll save time. Your time is valuable, and you may find the payoff of using a travel agent is worth sparing yourself hours of work and stress. Then you can focus on the fun part: planning what to do when you reach your destination. You’ll gain a trusted partner. Your travel agent will learn your style and taste, your likes and dislikes, so they’ll be able to choose hotels, destinations and amenities to make your trip a pleasant experience. You can actually save money. Remember that fee you pay a travel agent to book a plane ticket? Well, it could pay for itself. “Travel agents can purchase international tickets from ticket consolidators, which are wholesale companies that sell to agencies below the published ticket price,” Wright says. You’ll benefit from their knowledge. Travel agents are familiar with locations, attractions, the best places to eat and the best places to stay. “Travel agents can provide knowledge about destinations, accommodations, what a package includes, and they can dissect the vast amount of information so the consumer can make their best choices,” says Wright. So, why not book your next vacation with a travel agent? And when you’re sitting in the airport watching a harried traveler try to rebook their cancelled flight or resolve an issue with the car rental agent, you can sit back and relax — because you know your travel agent has your back. LIBRA
If you’re planning a vacation, why spend time online and on the phone when you can let a travel agent do the work for you? A travel agent, you say? Are they still around? Why, yes, they are! According to Pam Wright, president of Wright Travel in Nashville, the forecast for travel agents is quite good. “Statistics show that travel agents are booking more packages and that the trend of using agents is growing,” says Wright. To support that, the American Society of Travel Agents points to a 2013 study conducted by MMGY Global, a marketing agency focused on the travel industry. MMGY’s 2013 Portrait of American Travelers found that 13 percent of U.S. travelers used a travel agent in 2013. That’s up 11 percent from just a few years ago. While some travel consumers would rather beat the bushes on the Internet to find a deal, others prefer to pay a small fee to a professional. Back in the day, travel agents made their living through commissions from vendors. Most vendors still pay a commission to travel agents, but airlines do not, so travel agents do charge a fee for booking airfare. “The fee is in payment for the travel agent researching rates of all airlines, offering the best options, and being available to the traveler if there are any issues,” says Wright. So, you’re probably thinking why pay extra when you can do it yourself? “Often the value comes when the travel agent can resolve an issue, assist with cancelled flights or intervene in other travel supplier issues that may occur,” says Wright. “This intervention can save travelers significant dollars that far exceed a small fee.
LIQUID
It’s Your Time to Celebrate
Save time, money with a travel agent
— Diane Hughes, Tennessean Custom Publications