Travel brochures, once a common sight, are now likelier to be found in a museum than a living room.
Over the past decade, booking a break has evolved into a cutthroat race to the best products for the cheapest price. We trawl websites that churn flight prices in seconds, take advice from strangers (TripAdvisor now has more than 72 million reviews left by holidaymakers) and check prices at the same hotel from several sources. And, perhaps most importantly, we think ahead. (Cathay Pacific's flights to Bangkok on February 9 for Lunar New Year are already sold out.)
But while we've essentially become our own travel agents, tour operators are still a part of the industry. Hata (the Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents) has hundreds of members, and many holidaymakers and businessmen opt to let someone else do the legwork. Graham Elsom of Concord Travel says that while his firm is not always the cheapest, when it comes to a busy period, such as Lunar New Year, travellers still benefit enormously from his service.
"Everyone enjoys the scouting around to some extent, but it does take a huge amount of time," Elsom says. "It amazes me that people are willing to book online with a complete unknown." He adds that travel agents have the added bonus of carrying weight with airlines, cruise operators and hotels. In a recent case, Concord won a customer and his wife US$1,000 in compensation after they went on a cruise and found the ship to be substandard. "I doubt he would have got anything had he complained directly," Elsom says.
But while service is undoubtedly important, for many modern travellers, cost is king. Can agents really compete?
If you try to book the flights and the hotel directly, the airfare comes in at HK$3,780, and three nights at the hotel for HK$3,198, for a total of HK$6,978.