#6 Reasons Why Online Travel Planning Is The Way Forward Minimising the use of physical currency has further catapulted the growth of online portals at large

The travel industry as a whole still tussles between offline agents and online portals.Old-school travellers stick to their agents, since travel planning is still perceived as a task that requires human intervention. Shattering these perceptions is the current trend of the industry which is inclined towards online portals, and it is here to stay.

Ease of Cashless Transactions

The economic scenario in India post demonetisation leans towards promoting cashless transactions. Minimising the use of physical currency has further catapulted the growth of online portals at large. Within the travel domain, the new online players gain leverage on offline travel agents due to online modes of payment.

Offline is Primitive

Offline agents tend to stick to readymade packages that are then shared with several potential travellers. This primitive method of trip planning treats travel as a one-size-fits-all phenomenon. Online travel portals identify this gap and understand the need of personalisation. It is here where the traveller's preferences are of utmost priority and the itinerary is designed as per the individual's needs.Online trip planning also resolves the issues that offline agents and travel operators face with lack of updated knowledge of destinations and attractions within them.

Benefits of Competitive Pricing

Since the online travel space is highly competitive, the pricing is also proportionally competitive. Travellers can benefit from the various offers and discounts to minimize their costs. Moreover, such pricing ensures a transparency of rates where travellers can make comparisons and choose from the best available options.

No Middlemen Needed

Online travel planning makes middlemen, i.e., agents redundant, thereby further eliminating additional costs for the traveller. Travel companies ensure that their portals are user-friendly, so that travellers can navigate their way through the different nodes of trip planning and itinerary creation without any external help.

Round the Clock Access

Unlike offline agents who are bound by specific work hours, online travel portals are accessible round the clock, thus allowing additional flexibility to travellers along with ease of use.

Reviews and Feedbacks

With online travel portals, users have all the information they need about a destination, attraction, hotel and much more beforehand. Reviews, photographs, mapped locations, customer experiences and recommendations further empower potential travellers to make an informed decision. It also serves as a platform for them to give their feedbacks and interact with other travellers, a feature which is absent in offline modes of trip planning.

Though there has been hesitance in planning trips independently, the DIY mode of travel has been a breakthrough especially among millennials. The time and cost-effective feature, coupled with full customisability moves online travel planning from an option to a solution.