Travel agents can not be trusted say a quarter of holidaymakers

One in four holidaymakers don't trust travel agents to give them an accurate description of their holiday, according to research by an independent body.

The survey of 2,000 consumers carried out by Opinion Matters found that over 25 per cent who booked a holiday through a travel agent felt their trip wasn't as described in the brochure.

Whilst it seems hardly fair to blame travel agents for a poor or probably even misleading description in a brochure, which is written by a tour operator, what the survey reveals is that many agents don't have first-hand knowledge of the holidays they sell.

Fortunately, holidaymakers no longer need to rely on over-the-counter advice as there are a number of websites they can visit to read unbiased reviews from other holidaymakers.

Tripadvisor.co.uk, one of the most popular review websites, features over 25 million reviews of hotels, resorts and airlines from holidaymakers worldwide.

I would encourage people to research their holiday destination online before booking, but bear in mind that each traveller's opinion will be based on a limited experience said Steve Tate, chairman at Check Safety First, which commissioned the research.

Holidaymakers should also bear in mind that the review sites might not be as unbiased as they seem. For example, the latest travel review website Simonseeks pays writers commission for bookings made via the website for hotels they recommend.

Simonseeks has just launched a new money-saving guide to help holidaymakers cut the cost of their trip, drawing on the knowledge of consumer journalist and site editor Nick Trend.

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