Travel agents consider fees as people ask them for advice but book online

TRAVEL agents may introduce charges to deter people from tapping into their expertise and then booking holidays through the internet.

Pat Dawson, the newly elected president of the Irish Travel Agents’ Association (ITAA), said their counterparts in the US introduced charges some years ago in an effort to prevent what is essentially intellectual theft.

American travel agents provide a free 15-minute consultation and then charge after that. If a person then books a holiday through the travel agent that money is refunded.