- Ask anyone who books with an ATIA-accredited travel advisor and they will tell you the same thing: it is one of the best decisions they make.
6 May 2026: A client's flight from Queenstown is delayed, then cancelled. The airline's alternative is unworkable. With her clients already eight hours into an airport ordeal, their travel advisor steps in, negotiates a better solution directly with airport staff, organises accommodation, arranges a taxi and has the couple settled in town before the queues at the terminal have even started moving. They did not ask for any of this. Their advisor simply made it happen.
It is the kind of invisible, intensive work that accredited travel advisors do every day. For those who already book with an ATIA-accredited professional, it is rarely a surprise. It is exactly what they have come to expect.
This Global Travel Advisors Day (today, Wednesday 6 May), the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) is shining a light on what those clients already know first-hand: that in today's travel environment, having a skilled, accredited professional in your corner is not a luxury. It is the smartest travel decision you can make.
The reasons are threefold.
First, the Middle East disruptions are only the latest evidence of what happens when travel goes wrong at scale. When airspace closes and itineraries fall apart overnight, travellers without professional support are left navigating airline hold times, insurance exclusions and rebooking chaos on their own. Those with an accredited advisor make one call. Their professional handles the rest.
Sarah Szubanski, Managing Director of Platinum Travel Group, has seen it play out repeatedly across her corporate client base. "I've worked in corporate travel long enough to know that the real value of a travel advisor shows up in the hard moments," she says. "With everything that's unfolded across the Middle East recently, we've seen exactly what that looks like: businesses scrambling to locate travellers, reroute itineraries, and navigate airspace that changed by the hour. We're not just travel bookers. We're problem-solvers, risk managers, and the first call when things go wrong."
Nathaniel Musters, Australian Director and Commercial Lead at Traveltrust, says the difference between having a professional and not having one could not be starker. "Travel advisors matter because travel rarely goes perfectly to plan, and when it doesn't, people need more than a booking engine. They need someone who knows what to do, who can cut through the noise, and who genuinely cares about getting them where they need to be."
Second, the rise of sophisticated travel scams has made professional accountability more valuable than ever. Fake booking platforms, fraudulent confirmations and social media offers that evaporate after taking payment are now a genuine and growing risk for anyone booking independently. When you book through an ATIA-accredited agent, a regulated professional with real accountability is standing behind every transaction.
Third, and perhaps most importantly for the millions of Australians planning holidays and business travel right now, is the everyday value of having an expert curate and coordinate your trip from start to finish. This is not about rescuing disasters. It is about the itinerary that actually works, the connection that is not impossible, the hotel that delivers what it promises, and the travel insurance policy with the right cover already in place.
Mario Paez of Planetdwellers captures the breadth of that support. "We make your travel dreams look easy. We're in your corner from your first boarding pass until you're safely home. Having an ATIA-accredited travel expert means you have a partner who truly cares, turning what if into what's next for a seamless journey."
Peta Godfrey, Director of Travel Focus Group in Gerringong, NSW, says the expertise behind that seamless experience is built over years. "Travel advisors matter for the same reason you use any professional: you get a better result. Knowing how it all fits together, where small changes can save money and making sure the trip matches the client. That kind of knowledge isn't built online. It's built over time."
Sandy Chen, Managing Director of Suncatcher Holidays, sees the tailored difference an advisor makes even in travel that might seem straightforward. Chen's agency specialises in curating premium experiences for clients visiting friends and relatives, a segment often assumed to need little professional input. "Visiting friends and relatives doesn't have to mean compromising on quality," she says. "More of our clients are choosing premium cabins, private transfers, luxury serviced apartments and exclusive dining experiences, because reuniting with loved ones is a special occasion worth celebrating in style. That's the sweet spot where emotion meets elegance, and where a travel advisor makes all the difference."
Brian Conway, General Manager of Bonaventure Travel in WA, says that at the heart of every client relationship is something that cannot be replicated by any platform. "Our clients aren't buying a trip," he says. "They're placing their trust. After nearly twenty years in the industry, that's still the part I take most seriously. Global Travel Advisor Day is a reminder that the trust is well placed."
More than 70 per cent of international air sales in Australia are made through accredited agents and over 90 per cent of corporate travel bookings go through a professional. With 92 per cent of ATIA members being small businesses and 72 per cent of the workforce made up of women, Australia's accredited travel advisor community is one of the most diverse and locally embedded sectors in the country.
Global Travel Advisors Day on Wednesday 6 May is an annual moment to recognise the 28,000 accredited travel professionals who support 16.98 million Australian travellers every year.
