If you are looking for a travel agent near you, please visit www.mvptravel.com and use the Agency Locator to find your travel agent!

1. Save Money!
Travel Agents have access to the myriad of airfares, hotel rates, package tours, and cruise vacations worldwide and are internet savvy. Accompanied by strong working relationships with travel suppliers, often the best deal lies with the people who know where to look.

2. Save Time and Trouble
Agents clarify the fine print on cancellation penalties and restrictions thereby preventing headaches later on for travelers unaware of the terms and conditions of their purchase.

3. Convenience
Agents provide one-stop shopping for all your travel arrangements. This includes travel insurance, passport and visa applications, dining and shopping tips, and destination information.

4. Service
Travel agents understand that repeat customers are the best form of advertising. That is why agents make themselves available and respond quickly to customer needs.

5. Clout
Agents know how to interact with suppliers and have the proper contacts to get things done. Agents have more buying power.

6. Personal Relationships
Like a good doctor, attorney, or accountant, your travel agent knows you, your lifestyle, and tastes. Armed with this knowledge and statistical information stored confidentially through state-of-the-art technology, an agent becomes a trusted advisor.

7. Knowledge
Travel agents stay abreast of the most current promotions and timely industry news so that they can translate and explain what it all means to you.

8. Experience
Travel agents become travel experts through their first-hand knowledge of a destination, continuing education, and customer feedback

9. Investigation
No single travel supplier could advise a traveler with competitive information. Nor would they.

10. Evaluate and Analyze
Travelers can price shop on the internet, but what is a good deal? Travel Agents can sort the details, assess the facts, and decipher the pros and cons of a vacation offer.

11. Making the Best Match
Travel Agents are adept at matching the right destination and the right hotel with the traveler. Understanding a customer's needs and knowing a customer's lifestyle, agents are in a unique position to send you on the perfect vacation.

12. Recommendations
Because good agents know their customers so well, their expert guidance can put your mind at ease and make you confident with your selections and purchases.

13. Consumer Advocate
Always looking for your best interest, travel agents demand that customers get fair treatment from travel suppliers.

14. Problem Solving
When things go wrong or plans change, a travel agent is always there to seamlessly straighten it out-- a live person with a friendly face.

15. Enhancing the Trip
Agents offer value and amenities by providing inclusions or extras at no cost. These may come in the form of gifts or special promotions not available elsewhere.

Amber Zakem

Amber Zakem has worked in the travel industry since 2014. Although, her love of travel began far before that. Amber grew up visiting cousins stationed throughout Europe and worked as an Au Pair in Germany for a year between High School and College. She started working at a local travel agency in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, after graduating from Central Michigan University. Amber began working for MAST Travel Network in 2016 and is the Social Media Specialist. She runs the MAST Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat and she teaches twice monthly webinars to travel agents on using social media to promote travel. Amber has continued her passion for travel and social media by also teaching a course at Moraine Valley Community College in their Hospitality program.