13/03/2026
Travel Agents: First Hit. Last to Recover.
Whenever the world faces a crisis — pandemics, geopolitical tensions, or conflicts — tourism is among the first industries to feel the impact.
Flights stop.
Borders close.
Visas pause.
Travel plans collapse overnight.
And suddenly, travel agents’ phones begin ringing — not for bookings, but for cancellations, refunds, rescheduling, and emergency assistance.
What most people don’t see is the immense work that follows.
Travel agents spend countless hours coordinating with airlines, hotels, embassies, and partners across the world to support travellers through uncertainty. They help stranded passengers return home, reorganize disrupted journeys, and manage complex refund processes that can take months.
All of this happens while their own revenues often disappear overnight.
Yet when the world starts moving again, these very professionals rebuild traveller confidence, guide people through new rules, and quietly help tourism recover.
Travel agents rarely make headlines.
But they remain one of the most resilient pillars of the global travel ecosystem.
When the world stops travelling, travel agents carry the weight.
And when the world moves again, they help it move forward.
✈️
— Rakesh Khetrapal
