Travel Agency Closing Due To ‘Economic Downturn’
Citing the “economic downturn” , travel agent Global Travel will close its Reid Street doors permanently at the end of this month, with two full time staff members to lose their jobs.
An email sent to their customers said, “It is with sadness that we write to you to inform you that we will be closing the doors of Global Travel Limited on May 31st, 2012 – another unfortunate consequence of the economic downturn in Bermuda.
“All tickets purchased through us to date will be honoured and we will continue to take bookings and issue tickets until May 14th. All cruise, tour and airline bookings made for the remainder of the year and next year will be honoured through an affiliate agency.”
“Please contact us at 296 7900 about any outstanding reservations in order that we might process them before we close.”
They should have said, due to the advent of the internet, we don’t have as much business as we used to.
This is sad, but this isn’t about the downturn, this is just a business model that doesn’t work.
Another one bites the dust.
True. The business model is no longer viable – in the same way that Mobylette repairmen aren’t much needed nowadays.
A bit like retail shops.
Nah… retails shops are good for quick convenience and (supposedly) service and assistance..
With travel tickets, you can get those possibly even faster online than you an in an agency.
Id say the net killed this, not the economy
Kinda refreshing to see reasonableness in the analysis here. Usually even the humidity is the Government’s fault. Sorry for this closure but you all are right, the model no longer works.
could not compete with all of the Pyradmid Travel Agents
What a shame and this Agency won ‘Best of Bermuda’ at least twice. At the rate things are going, Undertakers, the Medical Arena and Grocery Stores will be the only businesses thriving.
Who uses a travel agent now anyway with all the Internet services?
Some cruise lines will not allow internet booking from Bermuda anymore (Expedia, Travelocity, etc) You have to use their on island representative. IE Princes cruise line is Ctravel………………(This changed the beginning of 2012 I believe)
http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1119
VOTE EM BACK IN WHAT DE HELL
Many many executives use Travel Agents. A Travel Agent can do in 2 mins what it would take some of us 20 mins to do on line. Also when planning a business trip to several cities in several countries a Travel Agent does all the air, hotel, car service and can even help with travel visas. So there is a genuine need still for Travel Agents but only the very best will survive that’s for sure.
Times change and customers’ needs change so travel agencies have had to move fast and sometimes drastically. A senior, experienced Bermuda travel agent is an international fares expert and in fact is on par with any international VIP desk in North America and beyond.