Few customers are loyal to a certain travel agency when researching and booking a holiday, research from TNS has suggested.
Two-thirds of respondents said they would book with whoever gave them the best deal.
Among the few that were loyal to a particular agency, 29% said it provided the best deals, 23% liked its knowledgeable staff and 21% wanted a reliable brand.
One in five of the 2,037 consumers questioned had visited a travel agency as part of the holiday planning process. Among those, 13% had gone in to pick up a brochure, 10% to make an enquiry with staff and 5% because they had spotted a good deal in the window.
About a third of people who had visited an agency went on to book – equating to 10 million customers.
Of those who plan their holiday online, most were likely to visit an online agency such as Expedia or lastminute.com, rather than the website of one of the big two.
More than half of people who have Internet access at work will visit a website before booking a holiday. However, there is no evidence that travel agents are used by people who do not go online. Of those who do not have Internet access, less than half had taken a holiday in the past year.
However, TNS found evidence of people using several research methods, such as face to face and online, before booking their holiday.
TNS head of travel and tourism Tom Costley said: “While there is little doubt of the importance of the Internet, travel agents continue to perform a valuable role for many people at both the planning and booking stages of the holiday.
“There is an undoubted crossover between the two media as consumers seek the best information.”