Planning a trip is a huge task! But with the advent of online travel agencies (OTAs), modern day travelers can now access the world from the comfort of their homes. From the flight to the hotel booking, and everything in between, customers can now book their reservations across the entire travelling journey in one go online.
The demand has been rising as travellers are getting used to ordering everything online. In this age when anyone with a smartphone and a credit card may book everything by themselves, many people feel skeptical about the usefulness of online travel agencies. In reality, using a travel agency for booking hotels, flights or any other travel related services can be beneficial for plenty of reasons.
To many travellers, online travel agencies are considered as the cheapest place to book and the best place to find package deals. Although many hotel brands and airlines have been trying to change this perception by asking direct booking through their websites, on OTA's travellers still get their travelling services at special low rates which cannot be found elsewhere.
A recent study by Piper Jaffray found that consumers find the same or lower rates on online travel agencies 87% of the time.
Online agencies also allow travellers to compare and select the best airline or hotel. Besides, when searching for flights or hotel booking online, travellers may also see different prices for the same routes that vary across websites. They often offer customized package deals that bundle air, hotel and activities into one affordable price.
Besides, some online travel agents can offer other advices, such as they can help the traveller with the nitty-gritty of visas, the latest news and updates related to travelling abroad, and other things that they might not have thought about while planning the trip.
Again, unlike direct booking, online booking agents have more flexible cancellation policies with full refunds. Nonetheless, hand picked OTAs also have loyalty programmes that reward travellers for booking multiple trips through their sites which can be used for future travel needs, including flights booking, car rentals, airfare, and other activities.
Travellers nowadays, with so much information available online today, easily get overwhelmed by the options of hotels and other services.
However, by using OTAs, travelers can easily browse travel services and book their accommodations using a trustworthy website. OTAs are providing the convenience of price, location, and property-type comparisons with a flawless user experience. For many travellers, the ability to filter down thousands of hotels to one that fits their trip goals is truly an invaluable tool that saves hours of hard work.
Beyond affordability and convenience, online travel agencies are enhancing the overall travel experience by assisting the travellersin every stage. In Bangladesh, there are plentyof online travel agencies. Among those,ShareTrip, that has recently brought home the "World Travel Awards" for the fourth consecutive time and been funded by government-backed VC fund Startup Bangladesh, is the most popular one and stands out from others owing to its customer-centric approach.
They are also being praised for developing the first ever Bangladeshi travel app that has made the strenuous task of travel planning easier than ever before.
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