Are Trip-planners worth it? Why you need a travel professional for your vacation planning

If you’re time-sensitive and don’t like research, you might want a travel planner

# 1: Planners can help simplify your vacation planning

The internet is a treasure trove of information, but it can also be overwhelming. With countless websites offering varying suggestions, it's easy to get lost in the sea of options. A local travel expert acts as an extra pair of hands, sifting through the noise to provide you with carefully curated recommendations tailored to your preferences. Say goodbye to information overload and hello to a streamlined planning process. If you choose to do this, you can save significant amounts of time and headache to piece together a complex logistical nightmare. 

Imagine travelling with a family filled with children, your vacation destination might already be a mistake from the get-go and a local expert would be able to advice you before you decide to buy that plane ticket. 

#2: It's like working with a friend to plan a vacation

Your travel planners are personal and are invested in helping you create a good time anywhere you want to go. Using a variety of tools and their extensive network in the industry, they are able to share considerations you might not have considered before. E.g. if you’re travelling in a bike-first country like Vietnam, perhaps you might want to rent a private driver instead of having to flag down bikes to get from point A to B. 

Travel experts possess an intimate knowledge of the destinations they serve. They can guide you towards lesser-known attractions, charming local eateries, and off-the-beaten-path experiences that you won't find in mainstream travel guides. These hidden gems add a layer of authenticity to your trip, ensuring that your journey is as unique as you are. Locals have the expertise of curating trips and can make recommendations which cannot be found on blogs and newsletters. These are usually hidden gems which can only be found if someone has been there done that and locals do that the most.  These recommendations will make each itinerary created unique and no two groups will go on the exact same trip and experience the same things.

If you’re looking to talk to a local guide and get started on trip planning with someone, you can check out Fiverr or Upwork, or even local tourism authorities to get help with itinerary planning. It’s a growing trend for sure and we expect to see more people tapping into the expertise of locals to create memorable trips. 

#3: Experts can get you deals you didn’t know existed

It's not just about finding the best flights and accommodations. Travel professionals are well-connected and often privy to local deals, discounts, and insider perks that may not be accessible to the general public. By tapping into their network, you can potentially save money while still enjoying a luxurious travel experience. Alternatively, you can consider signing up for premium membership platforms like Origin or Quintessentially to support with a full suite premium concierge service, it’s going to cost a bomb – so be warned. 

Some challenges with using local trip-planners

#1 Finding the right fit can be difficult

People’s time is getting expensive. Would you want to pay $40 for a 45-minutes trip planning consultation only to realise you could have done that yourself? From experience trying out different service providers on Fiverr, we realised that the level of quality is a hit or miss and your only way to reduce the risk of a bad planner is through the reviews which often doesn’t give too much information about the work they’ve done. 

While the availability of travel experts has increased in recent times, finding the perfect fit can still be a challenge.  Some professionals may charge premium rates, especially if they are popular travel bloggers seeking to monetize their expertise. However, with careful research, you can identify professionals who offer excellent value for their services. Upwork is an excellent place for finding seasoned trip planners, however it can also get significantly more expensive to do that so do take your budget into account.

#2 Travel planners may have different styles of planning a trip

Just like any service, not every travel expert will be a perfect match for your travel style and preferences. While some may excel at crafting adventure-packed itineraries, others might have a knack for creating relaxing getaways. It's important to communicate your expectations clearly to ensure a harmonious planning process. Speaking from personal experience, trip-planners pack too many words into an itinerary and it already looks tiring to get into the details. Travel is about anticipation and getting excited about the trip is a part of the product experience however, most travel planners today are used to creating Powerpoints by slapping a bunch of photos into the slides and putting various huge text boxes with crazy fonts that don't  really create excitement. Or some might create a very detailed Excel plan that can be useful in nailing all the details, but do you want to imagine your vacation starting with rows and rows of Excel cells?

Today, some planners make use of travel productivity solutions like Holicay or TripIt to design their client’s trips. It has the structure of Excel but the aesthetic of Canva, allowing you to really have the best of both worlds.

#3 You are the best person to plan the vacation. Who knows better the experience you want for your vacation than yourself. Some travellers like to take things into their own hands and design a trip that is ultra personalised. While that involves a lot of work and research from reading blogs, booking accommodations and finally using Google Maps to string everything together, you know that this was the result of your hardwork. Working with trip-planners can be a hit or miss, but if you're strapped for time and don't want to speak to someone, you could consider online travel productivity tools like Holicay, Tripit or Wanderlog to improve the effectiveness of your vacation plan.  Their integrated itinerary recommendation feature helps with making a first cut at top speed.

The Verdict

At the end of the day, not everyone likes speaking to somebody to plan a trip. Some see the research as part of the vacation experience and some see if as a logistical chore. Depending on which type you are, you might want to speak to a travel planner or use an online productivity tool like Holicay or Tripit.

For those that want to try speaking to a local expert to get a personalised itinerary plan, Holicay’s travel consultations are free of charge and you’ll walk away with a personalised itinerary link that you can take with you on the trip. For those looking to plan trips on your own, can can check out Holicay's free itinerary templates created by other travellers like yourself. You may customise these to fit your own travel style, and discover new things to add into the itinerary using their integrated map function all for free.