Do You Tip a Travel Agent? – Is it Okay to Tip?

Tipping is like a culture in the US as an instance of showing gratitude for one’s service. Do you tip a travel agent? Meanwhile, this should be a question all of you should face when they have provided a person who is worthier than the money you paid. But this is an area that you have to touch before traveling to any country. Some countries, like Japan, refuse tips at restaurants, and if you leave behind a tip, it is considered rude. Americans have a history of tipping culture, dating back to the early 19s.

What is the Best Way to Thank a Travel Agent? 

When traveling to a different location or another country, the travel agent becomes the closest friend of you. They are the service providers who arrange your tours, the hotels you stay in, and the services you add to the tour package while collaborating with all the activities you participate in during the trip. In a way, your relaxation on tour is in the hands of your travel agent.

You all understand how much effort one person should put forward to regulate all the activities from your arrival to departure while not ruining the vibe of the journey. Besides, a travel agent is also responsible for the exterior facts that affect the discussed procedure of the trip. You can also make the payments and request refunds in any unsatisfying situation via the travel agent assigned to you.  

When all these things went on smoothly, and there was no interruption for your enjoyment, we can state that there has been perfect guidance and management by the travel agent. The best way to appreciate his/her dedicated work would be a small gift or a souvenir. With a gift, you can add some flowers and a thank you card expressing your honest opinions and regards.

Positive feedback and a good website rating will also work best to delight your beloved companion on the trip. Your recommendations are also a valuable treasure that a travel agent could earn. They would be so happy if you recommend their selves to your relatives and friends of yours who are willing to travel the same route in the near future.  

Do You Tip a Travel Agent?

As we discussed, tipping is a must-not in certain countries like Japan and Hong Kong. Sometimes it will hurt someone’s personality according to their nature of thinking. Some will accept the money. But we cannot predict the response. Therefore, we suggest that it would be better if you show your gratitude via a small gift, an item from your country, or else with a thank you card along with some beautiful flowers.

Some also have tried singing a small song or a poem at the end of the long journey. This should include a warm thank you for your hardworking travel agent. A gift voucher from a city you travel to would also be an ideal and mesmerizing gift of all time. 

But still, if you prefer a tip, you can try giving it! Generally, the tip should be 10% of the charge you pay. In traveling, a satisfactory service can usually be tipped 15% of the whole charge, and if it is extra special and heartwarming, you can add more than 5% for the above value.

If the travel agent does additional tasks as per your request and works additional hours without increasing the charge, it can be listed as an instance where you should tip more than 20%. These are not rules, and the tipping amount depends on your budget. If your travel agent seems unhappy with the tip, do not over-force them to accept it.  

However, in some situations, tipping is essential. For instance, we can take a tour arranged in the holidays. You can tip the agent as he or she has decided to work on their free time for your request.

How Much Commission Does a Travel Agent Receive?

It has been recorded that most travel hosts pay around 7% – 8% for a travel agent at the end of the trip. If the agent works independently, he will remain with a commission that lies in the range of 90% – 100%. 

Apart from that, there are many other ways travel agents earn commissions during one trip. If you plan to travel through the country on domestic flights, you will purchase the tickets via your agent. Most airlines do not offer the agents a commission, but some do provide 5% of the fair. Some agencies add a service charge to your bill for booking and arranging airline tickets. 

The same story is within international airline reservations. Here, the agency or the agent will receive a commission of about 5% – 30% depending on the ticket type and the other added service charges. 

Travel agents do receive a commission from the hotels, motels, vacation houses, or restaurants included in your tour. Most people will be added 10% of the total bill of the tourists or the visitors. If it is an off-season booking, the agents or the hosts will get more than that amount. 

Car rental companies also pay a commission fee that lies between $2 and 20 % of the total sum. 

Do You Gift to a Travel Agent?

In the previous paragraph, we discussed the instances in which the travel agents are paid a commission from one tour. But still, if you are very satisfied with the agent’s service, you can gift him something. Even a thank you card with appreciation would be enough. 

Furthermore, something you purchased from a cultural site that can be kept in the living area would be ideal for him to remember you for a lifetime. 

A business card holder or a traveling backpack can also be listed as the most suitable gifts for a travel agent. 

It is not necessary to gift your traveling partner, but if you are benefited from the blessing of having such an accurate and dedicated person, retreating him with a small gift will add more sweetness to your journey.

 

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