This post is not only about travel agents, it is more about online travel and its effects on travel agents...

Online travel is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. One has only to watch the TV and newspapers to see the number of ads by online travel companies. The growth of low cost airline industry has only added to the trend...

How do you think the online travel landscape will look a couple of years later? Will it become more widespread in all parts of the world (especially developing countries), or will it still be something only the higher strata of the society will be more comfortable in using? For all the hype about many developing countriues being tech-savvy, it should be noted that less than 5% of their households have a PC (compared to over 50% of households in the US!)...So, while the VCs might be happy betting on the online travel industry all over the world to grow exceedingly fast for the next few years, is this something that will remain a hope or will it really materialise?

Equally importantly, how do you foresee the role of the travel agent changing in this scenario? Obviously, the travel agents can't carry on business as usual because many if the functions that were done by them are done by the online travel sites...this is not to say that they will have little role in future, I'm sure travel agents will flourish, but I'm only trying to understand what sort of changes will happen to the travel agent industry in future as online travel become more and more accepted by a large strata of the society?

Your thoughts are welcome...

NS from Travel Technology & Processes @ Trazoo