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Cultivating Connections Travel Planners

The Hidden Costs of DIY Travel

Updated: Feb 2, 2023


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The Hidden Costs of DIY Travel

You’re ready for a vacation. You decide to visit the bustling, beautiful city of Jacksonville, Florida. You’re looking forward to enjoying the Salt Life vibe and fishing along the 1,100+ miles of interior shorelines. It’s time to get planning!


So you hop onto Google and type “best hotels in Jacksonville, FL.” and Google returns an estimated 43 million results! You start browsing through Trip Advisor, Expedia, 5-Star Alliance, and others, but you quickly become overwhelmed. How on earth are you supposed to pick a hotel from this many options? Some look beautiful from the exterior but have mediocre reviews. One boutique property looks slightly sketchy, but the reviews are calling it a “hidden gem.” Okay, you think. Let’s check flights. We can book the hotel later.

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With a travel advisor’s expert experience, you’ll save time and money by getting the best deals and value for your money.


You search for flights from your local airport to Jacksonville. Good ‘ole Google Flights offers you several suggestions. But are these flights in economy or premium? Do they let you check your bag for free? Can you choose your seat? What kind of connections are there? You know that if you make the wrong choice, you’ll end up paying plenty more of your hard-earned cash in hidden costs and fees.

Frustrated, you close your laptop. I’ll handle this later, you think. It shouldn’t be this overwhelming!


DIY Can Leave You SOL

If you want to travel comfortably, hiring a TA is the way to go! Like the overwhelmed traveler above, most people don’t think they need the services of a travel advisor. They think they can easily navigate the abundant options, thousands upon thousands of reviews, and innumerable experiences available for consideration on the Internet. The average traveler relies on his mistaken sense of travel “expertise” and, unfortunately, suffers for it! Trying to plan a trip, and especially a luxury trip, on your own is the travel equivalent of renovating your own bathroom. Sure, you can watch the YouTube videos, follow the “How-To” articles, and piece together a semi-respectable result.


But what you really want is to walk into that renovated bathroom and be wowed by a spectacular result! The same is true for travel. You can piece together a trip using Google and the advice of your cousin’s boyfriend’s friend who once went to Jacksonville on Spring Break. Or you can wise up and hire a professional travel advisor who is itching to plan a remarkable trip that exceeds your expectations.


Hiring a Travel Advisor is the Way of the Future

The advent of the internet was widely predicted to put many out of business. But smart companies leveraged the internet in their favor, adapting their approach to the modern era. Many travel agencies indeed closed when internet booking became popular. But many Travel Advisors quickly pivoted and updated their systems, allowing them to better meet their clients’ needs. Happily, travel advisors are here to stay! In fact, rather than make TA’s irrelevant, the internet has enlightened many to the wisdom of using professional travel advisors to help consumers cut through the noise. Despite the availability of travel sites like Expedia and Trip Advisor, professional travel planners are in higher demand today than ever. While wasting hours online trying to get good travel deals may sometimes yield results, this method is unreliable for booking vacations. It’s also a costly bargain. For every hour wasted wading through hotel reviews, consider what else you could have been doing! Spending time with family, engaging in hobbies, or learning new skills are only a few of the ways most people would rather spend their time. Working with an excellent travel advisor guarantees 100% satisfaction. Your travel professional does all of the necessary research, selections, and negotiations before presenting you with a tailor-made travel experience designed around your unique preferences. Travel advisors also have plenty of travel experience, access to insider industry information, and up-to-date information on promotions from resorts, cruise lines, and other travel providers that the average person simply cannot access.


Your Travel Pro Offers Travel Assistance No Matter the Time of Day - Which Can Save You Big $$!



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Your travel professional does all of the necessary research, selections, and negotiations before presenting you with a tailor-made travel experience designed around your unique preferences.


Imagine embarking on a Caribbean cruise with your family, but a sudden storm cancels your outbound flight. You’re terrified you’re going to miss your cruise! Fortunately, you’ve hired a travel planner, so you have options. As a CCTP client, you can contact us right away, no matter the time of day or night. We’ll get to work helping you rebook your travel arrangements to make sure you get where you need to be ASAP. Had you booked through an online travel engine, you’d likely be in for a shock. Travel engines rarely offer person-to-person assistance, and even if they do, they’re unlikely to help with a significant hitch in your travel plans. You’d probably be on your own to either find another flight or cancel your cruise...and you probably wouldn’t get a refund either.

Travel Experts Offer Travel Recommendations


So you want to go on a river cruise in Europe, but you have no idea which cruise line to use. Or maybe your children are dreaming of a National Park vacation, but you’re overwhelmed by the options. A trusted travel advisor will help you navigate these and any other travel issues you have. TA’s will remove planning stress while saving you time and hassle, planning your vacation to perfection. With a travel advisor’s expert experience, you’ll save time and money by getting the best deals and value for your money.



Call Cultivating Connections Travel Planners for a Complimentary Planning Session!

We’re ready to help you discover, plan, and book the vacation of your dreams. We’ll use all of the tools at our disposal to design a trip that wows you. Call us today to get started!

To find out more check out my home page here.


Or you can just give me a call at 405.310.7588



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To guide you toward the best choices for your next getaway, talk to your trusted travel advisor about your options!


ENJOY THE BEST FOOD IN YOUR TRAVEL DESTINATION


One of the things to get excited about while you travel is food. Every location is unique for its food and how they cook it. There’s always a story to tell from different foods you try. That’s why traveling is essential. You get to try out new things.


Download my FREE eBook HERE to see the ten ways you can turn your Vacation into a Culinary Adventure.


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One of the things to get excited about while you travel is food. Every location is unique for their food and how they cook it. There’s always a story to tell from different foods you try.

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