Desert Travel Agent Says Business Is Good

Earlier this year, the drug war spilling over the Mexico border into the United States forced the Department of State to issue a travel advisory.

The dollar doesn’t hold as much weight in Europe as it once did, and fractured governments in some African countries is leading to anarchy, but not all is lost for travelers, according to Patrick Crofoot, a travel agent, who said being in an agent doesn’t reap the same monetary rewards as it did 20 years ago, when he opened up his business Crofoot Travel in Palm Desert.

But today, he still has a thousand clients.

“It’s just little things of knowing the ins and outs of the industry,” said Crofoot.

David Durham is using Crofoot Travel to book a flight to Minnesota, “because I don’t do online. I’m not an internet guy,” he said.

“We were in Niagra Falls last week,” said Larry Brooks, who is in town from Arizona with his wife.

The Brooks are frequent travelers, and book their own trips now, but say life was easier planning vacations through an agent.

“It drives me nuts comparing the price on one date versus another,” said Larry Brooks.

These are turbulent times for the travel industry.

Fewer flights are being booked, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Popular destinations like Japan, Haiti and Chile are still recovering from quakes.

There’s unrest in Egypt and several other countries in Africa.

But despite Crofoot saying a trip to Europe for a family of four may run about one $1,000 more than it did two years ago, he said hotels and restaurants there are lowering prices, trying to attract American tourists worried their dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to.

“You could get much better deals now in Dublin, Ireland than you could two years ago,” said Crofoot.

The Department of State has issued a travel advisory to all Americans planning on traveling to Mexico, especially along the border — where innocent civilians are dying in a bloody drug war.

Catergory 3 storm, Hurricane Jova is also moving close to hitting Mexico’s Pacific Coast.

“A lot of cruise lines have pulled away from doing Mexican-Riviera, or they’ve limited the ports of call that they go to,” said Crofoot.

But if people do plan on doing any kind of travel, Crofoot said right now, cruises are the way to go.

Cruise ships have to fill their cabins, and booking far out or last minute could land you a deal.

“If you go on an inside cabin, $390 plus tax,” said Crofoot. “I just did a balcony in the Caribean for $721 including tax.”

Gas prices have fallen for the fourth straight week, but the price of a gallon is even throwing some road trips out the window.