Why you should use a licensed travel agency

24 July 2011
Posted in BoholLife Blog - Daily Life in Bohol

The old adage “Cheaper is not always better” can be applicable to many aspects of life. I will try to explain why it’s better to use a licensed Travel Agency to book your Bohol Day Tours and Packages, as opposed to the sometimes-cheaper freelance opportunists.

Most of our clients use the Internet to research Bohol Tours & Tour Packages. With one click of the mouse hundreds of web sites will appear, all seemingly offering great deals on Day Tours, Accommodation etc.

Its human nature to be attracted to the lower priced tours and in many cases these are offered by seemingly reputable agencies or operators, but all may not quite be as it appears. A flashy Web Site or well-put together classified ad does not mean that the business you are dealing with actually exists.

Does this matter to you the customer if “abc-tours” is licensed and “def-tours” isn’t?  In my opinion it matters a great deal, it’s about Quality of Service, Accountability of the travel agency handling the tour and Customer Safety.

To be a licensed Travel Agency in Bohol, you need to have a DTI Business Registration, Business Permit / Mayors permit, BIR Certificate and a physical office. Getting all of these things takes time and money and involve the normal ongoing expenses involved when running a business / office.

The non-licensed operations may have a web site or as is often the case utilize the services of free on-line classified Ad sites like Sulit.com.ph. Typically they will list several telephone numbers (nearly always mobile phones) and an email address. You will hardly ever find a business address listed.

These people have no overheads; so will always be able to offer the tour that bit cheaper. The problems can arise when it comes to making payments etc or indeed if a problem occurs on the tour. Would you deposit money into the account of an unknown Joe Blogs! I certainly wouldn’t.

Be wary at the Pier in Tagbilaran, when you exit the welcome center you can be hit by a barrage of drivers all offering Bohol Day Tour and the like. It’s your choice if you use their services to save a couple of hundred pesos.  Be Warned many are not licensed in any way.

Licensed Travel Agencies will have a bank account/s registered in the business name, will give out office numbers (landline & cell) along with office address details.  They are legitimate and have nothing to hide from the customer or authorities.

In short you the customer can ask for proof of the business being genuine before sending payments for bookings etc. With this assurance you will feel more comfortable paying money up front. Sure it may cost a little more but isn’t peace of mind equally important.

Don’t just take my word for it, try searching Bohol Day Tours or something similar, check some of the Sulit Ads, look at the web sites and see if they give a business address.

I have personally emailed several supposedly legitimate operations advertising on Sulit.com.ph and with web sites. I asked if I could meet at their office. I either got no reply or got told they will come and meet me, Yeah Right!

So here are some of the advantages of using BoholLife.com Tour Services:

• Fully Licensed Travel Agency
• Fast & Efficient response to Customer Enquiries
• Vehicles used are part of a LTRFB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board) approved franchise /  co-operative.
• Vehicles are licensed and have the mandatory insurance to carry passengers
• Because we use multiple operators we can ensure back-up vehicles in the event of an unforeseen mechanical failure.
• BPI Company Bank Account

You have to remember though, trust is a two way street. Our Agency will not typically give a confirmed booking without receipt of a P 1,000 deposit. We learnt the hard way, so now have to adopt a “No Deposit, No Tour” Policy.