A survey by ABTA, The Travel Association, has revealed that the number of people booking overseas holidays on the high street has risen 10% in the last 3 years.

ABTA’s 2012 Consumer Travel Trends Survey has found that 27% of people now use a high street travel agent to book their holiday, rising substantially from just 17% in 2010.

According to ABTA British holiday makers are becoming more positive towards high street travel agents and are rediscovering the benefits and skills of travel agents.

It seems that younger travellers in particular are becoming fans of their local travel agent, with 45% of 15-24 year olds stating that they value the service of a travel agent.

One reason stated by both younger and older generations for using a travel agent is the reassurance from dealing with someone face to face when booking their holiday arrangements.

As travel agents bookings have increased, the same period has seen a drop in the number of consumers booking DIY holidays online, direct with airlines and hotels.

The shift has been put down to the bewildering amount of choice available online and increasing concerns about financial protection for holidays.

Victoria Bacon ABTA Head of Communications said

“It is increasingly apparent that people are realising the benefits of what a travel agent can offer. The Internet has been fantastic in opening up choice but the survey shows that consumers value the help of a human being and the reassurance of dealing with someone face to face.”

Of course it doesn’t matter how you book your holiday, whether you prefer to do it yourself online or use a traditional travel agent for a more personal touch, having travel insurance with cover for pre-existing medical conditions is vital.

Goodtogoinsurance.com can cover all types of medical conditions and has no age limits. We also include Scheduled Airline Failure/End Supplier Failure on all of our travel insurance policies, so that however you choose to book your holiday, your money will be protected in the event that one of your holiday suppliers becomes insolvent.